Yujing Mangoes

Yujing sits in the low hills east of Tainan where the drainage and the heat suit mango trees, and it grows more of them than anywhere else in Taiwan. The variety that made the district's name is the Irwin, brought from Florida in the middle of the twentieth century and grown here into the deep red fruit sold everywhere in summer, alongside older green-skinned types eaten hard or pickled. From June the wholesale market operates at night, when farmers bring in the day's picking and buyers work through the crates under strip lights. Roadside stands sell fruit by the box, and shaved ice heaped with cut mango and condensed milk is the standard way to eat it on the spot.

What you actually see

• The night wholesale market - crates traded under strip lights through the summer.
• Irwin mangoes - the red-skinned variety the district is known for.
• Mango shaved ice - fruit and condensed milk piled on ice at roadside shops.
• The orchards - bagged fruit hanging in rows across the hillsides.

When to go

The season runs roughly from June to August and peaks in July; outside it there is nothing to see and the stands are shut. That is also the hottest and wettest part of the year in southern Taiwan, with afternoon storms and typhoon risk. The wholesale market works at night, which is both cooler and considerably more interesting than a daytime visit.

Honest expectations

This is farmland with a market in it rather than an attraction, and there is no visitor infrastructure to speak of. Summer heat and humidity here are severe. Buying a box means carrying ten kilos of fruit that bruises easily. Fresh mangoes usually cannot be taken across borders, so what you buy has to be eaten locally. Without a car it is a slow trip.

Nearby

The Zengwen reservoir and the Dongshan coffee road are further into the hills.