Kids taste the sweet "fruit" of labor.  

A child enjoys a hand-picked navel orange.  

Pingtan, China's second international tourism island after Hainan, is embracing a sweet season as its Luyang navel orange picking period kicks off during the New Year holiday and extends through February. In the orchards, golden and plump navel oranges hang amid dark green foliage, filling the air with a fresh citrusy fragrance that draws streams of visitors.

A beaming child hugs his prize—freshly picked oranges.  

The thriving orange industry here features dedicated growers like Gao Zining, a 60-year-old farmer who switched from planting sweet potatoes and peanuts to navel oranges in 2018. Seizing the opportunities from Pingtan's booming tourism and the rising reputation of "Pingtan's Luyang Orange," Gao leveraged the region's sandy soil and mild climate—ideal for orange cultivation—to develop a 10-mu orchard. "This year's favorable weather has yielded oranges with better quality than ever—uniform size, thin peels, extra juicy and sweet," Gao notes, as he peels a freshly picked fruit to reveal its juicy flesh. To enrich visitors' experience, he also converted 4 mu of land near the orchard to grow sweet potatoes, his traditional specialty, and built simple earthen kilns. "Many kids have never seen how sweet potatoes grow, so they find it fascinating," Gao explains. "Gathering around the kilns to watch sweet potatoes roast over charcoal brings a nostalgic warmth and anticipation that creates unexpected joy."

Picking navel oranges—harvesting sweetness and joy

The orchards are now a major draw, with families making up the bulk of the visitors. Kids weave through the rows, eagerly spotting and picking oranges, as adults enjoy a welcomed respite, finding connection in the shared, hands-on activity. Couples and young friends also frequent the orchards, turning orange picking into a fun social activity. "Children nowadays have few chances to connect with nature," says Xiong Guizhen, who brought her daughter for the experience. "For her, orange picking is both relaxing and a tangible lesson in hard work—far more powerful than reading about it." Repeat visitors are common. Lin, a returning guest, explains: "We came last year, and the oranges tasted so good that our child has been thinking about them ever since." These word-of-mouth recommendations have formed a stable customer base, fostering warm bonds beyond mere transactions between growers and regulars.

A kid juicing fresh oranges for a glass of sunshine

Visitors like Chen Juan appreciate the unique experience: "Picking fruits straight from the trees makes them taste even better. The freshness and sense of achievement here can't be bought in markets." As laughter mingles with the sweet aroma of oranges in Luyang's orchards, the harvest season offers a delightful escape for tourists and a fruitful venture for local farmers.