There's a kind of sweetness called Hami

Hami, a city in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, sounds almost good enough to eat. Say the name "Hami," and it is easy to imagine the crisp, juicy texture and rich sweetness of a Hami melon. A city and a fruit share the same name, making sweetness one of Hami's most distinctive calling cards.

Melons have been cultivated in Hami for centuries, while the name "Hami melon" dates back to the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911). According to the Qing-era historical record Huijiang Zhi, Emperor Kangxi tasted a Jiageda melon from Hami in 1699. Impressed by its crisp texture and delightful sweetness, he named it "Hami melon." From then on, the city and the fruit became closely connected. In 2014, the city's Hami Melon Cultivation and Tribute Melon Culture System was included in the second group of China's Nationally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems.

With abundant sunshine and wide temperature differences between day and night, Hami provides ideal natural conditions for growing melons. Today, however, this sweetness is no longer limited to summer.

At the Hami melon fresh fruit industry chain platform, the development of new varieties, standardized production and coordination among growing regions across China have created a "sweet relay" spanning all four seasons. The platform has established 14 demonstration and promotion bases nationwide and tested more than 600 varieties.

Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Gansu Province in northwest China support production during summer and autumn, while south China's Hainan Province and southwest China's Yunnan Province focus on cultivation in winter and spring. By taking turns according to local climates and growing seasons, these regions help maintain a stable supply of high-quality Hami melons 365 days a year.

From a seasonal delicacy to a year-round offering, and from Hami in Xinjiang to markets farther afield, this nationwide "sweet relay" uses geography to overcome seasonality—keeping the taste of Hami available throughout the year.