Lychees tell the story of Chinese modernization

Just as King Edward VIII was willing to abdicate the throne for Wallis Simpson, and Louis XVI created the exclusive "Queen's Hamlet" for his beloved Marie Antoinette, ancient China had its own emperor, notorious for his blind devotion to his consort. In the 8th century, Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) was smitten with a breathtakingly beautiful imperial concubine.

When this enchanting woman suddenly craved fresh lychees, the emperor spared no expenses to satisfy her whim, ordering the creation of a "lychee highway" connecting the fruit-producing regions of Guangdong to the capital Chang'an (present-day Xi'an in Shaanxi province). Along this route, relay stations were established, and riders raced against time to carry the highly perishable fruit from the southern province to the northern capital before it rotted in the summer heat.

While serious historians suggest the concubine likely received lychees from a closer province, Sichuan, rather than distant Guangdong, either route posed immense difficulties during the time. The journey from Guangdong to Chang'an passed through complex terrain across more than 2,000 kilometers — roughly the distance from London to Istanbul.