Villagers harvest mangoes in SW China's Yunnan

Villagers sort freshly harvested mangoes in Hanlong village, Yisa town, Honghe county, Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (People's Daily Online/Yin Xin)

In Hanlong village, Yisa town, Honghe county, Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province, century-old mango trees grow along the river valley. Rising to tens of meters in height, their dense canopies spread out like umbrellas.

At dawn, Li Yousheng and his family members climb into the towering mango trees to harvest fruit. With a light tap, mangoes drop into bamboo baskets tied to the branches below. Once full, the baskets are lowered to the ground by rope.

"Our main livelihood comes from growing vegetables. Harvesting mangoes is more of a bonus," Li said with a smile. A single tree can yield 1 to 2 tonnes of fruit, fetching 6-8 yuan ($0.89-$1.18) per kilogram.

The county has over 5,000 mu (333 hectares) of mango trees, generating an annual output value of more than 3 million yuan.

Villagers sort freshly harvested mangoes in Hanlong village, Yisa town, Honghe county, Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (People's Daily Online/Yin Xin)

Photo shows freshly harvested mangoes in Hanlong village, Yisa town, Honghe county, Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (People's Daily Online/Liu Yi)

Villagers pick mangoes in Hanlong village, Yisa town, Honghe county, Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (People's Daily Online/Yin Xin)

A villager picks mangoes in Hanlong village, Yisa town, Honghe county, Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (People's Daily Online/Yin Xin)

Photo shows a mango tree over 100 years old in Hanlong village, Yisa town, Honghe county, Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (People's Daily Online/Yin Xin)