A sweet bond at Gateway to Western Regions

HAMI, in the eastern part of northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, has long been a key hub on the ancient Silk Road and is known as the “gateway to the Western Regions”.

- HUAN XIANG, HAN LIQUN and QU PEI

When Zhang Qian made his first diplomatic mission to the West in the Western Han Dynasty (202BC-25AD), Hami was an important stop. The Silk Road he pioneered not only fostered cultural exchanges across regions but also left behind a shared taste memory that has endured for millennia, turning Hami into a synonym for sweet melons.

Today, Hami’s annual Melon Festival celebrates this heritage as a vibrant feast of sweetness.

Interestingly, Khiva in Uzbekistan - another ancient Silk Road cultural crossroads - hosts a parallel melon festival. Together, these two transborder events resonate as a symbolic “sweet bond” connecting communities and industries.

This summer, in the melon fields of Huayuan township of Hami, workers of the Jiaxiang Fruit Planting Cooperative rushed to harvest, sort, and pack crates of fresh melons ready for shipment.

“This year we've already exported 1880 tons of Hami melons, with peak daily exports exceeding 80 tons,” said Liu Ruixiang, head of the cooperative.

Hami’s temperate continental climate, featuring abundant sunshine and large day-night temperature differences, gives the melons their exceptional sweetness. Strong photosynthesis during the day allows the fruit to accumulate nutrients, while the cool nights slow sugar consumption.