Cherries paint the slopes of Mount Taishan red, and e-commerce becomes the lever to bring high-quality local products to the whole of China and beyond.
On May 10, the 2025 “樱为邮你” – Taishan Cherry E-commerce Season – officially kicked off, along with the “Taishan Haopin” selection fair dedicated to the region’s agri-food excellence.
The event was held in the integrated agricultural park of Tianbao, the productive and symbolic heart of Chinese cherries.
Located north of the Culai National Forest Park and bordered to the south by the Chaiwen River, Tianbao is recognized as China’s “first cherry town.”
It boasts over a millennium of red fruit cultivation history, with ancient specimens from the Tang dynasty still present in the village of Nianjiayu.
Today, the area includes 16 specialized villages, 50,000 mu (about 3,300 hectares) of cherry orchards, over 20 varieties divided into eight series, with annual production exceeding 20,000 tons and a market value of 400 million yuan (about 51 million euros).
In recent years, Tianbao has strongly invested in agricultural innovation, collaborating with research institutes and universities such as the Academy of Forestry Sciences and Shandong Agricultural University.
A 230-mu technological demonstration park dedicated to cherries has been established, along with 62 next-generation agricultural greenhouses.
The shift from open-field to protected cultivation is a clear sign of ongoing transformation.
"Quality is improving and prices are following the same trend," explained Wan Jindong, General Manager of Shandong Lizhong Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd.
Online sales, through customized models, can yield an extra 10–20 yuan (about €1.30–2.60) per jin (half a kilogram).
Premium packages can sell for as much as 200 yuan (about €26) in markets such as Beijing and Shanghai.
The Tai’an postal network has developed a comprehensive system to ensure freshness and traceability: cold-chain air transport to strategic hubs like Jinan and Nanjing, as well as to 17 provinces and cities including Beijing and Tianjin.
Thanks to the “morning picking, noon sorting, next-day delivery” model, the fruit arrives fresh and intact on tables across China.
The service combines refrigerated transport, customized packaging, and ultra-fast delivery, blending the best of the physical and digital worlds.
As explained by Ma Xiao, head of e-commerce at Tai’an Post, "the synergy between postal logistics and online platforms allows small producers to reach new markets, strengthening the visibility of the ‘Taishan Haopin’ brand.”
During the event, the launch of the Village Leaders Alliance for Live Commerce was also announced, with six local leaders – including Sun Qifang from Liujiatuan Village – ready to become digital ambassadors for rural products.
This move marks the start of a new, organized, and scalable phase of local agricultural live streaming.
The Tai’an Commerce Office has placed strong emphasis on rural e-commerce. Six model towns and ten model villages have been created, with over 80 training sessions and more than 4,700 operators trained.
In the first quarter of 2025 alone, the value of rural online sales reached 1.57 billion yuan (around €200 million), up 7.2% year-on-year.
The new edition of the “樱为邮你” season and the “Taishan Haopin” fair marks a key step toward full integration of e-commerce, logistics, and territorial branding.
Iconic products such as cherries, daughter’s tea, rice pancakes, and export goods like ropes and pet accessories are now aiming to conquer national and international markets, with one goal: to transform local excellence into global success.
Text and image source: Dazhong.com
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