Taiwan journalists enjoy a tropical fruit platter at the Window of World Tropical Fruits.

Standing inside the Window of World Tropical Fruit in Qionghai City, Hainan Province, Cheng Shih-yung, Interview Director of BoNews in Taiwan, China, picked up the unfamiliar fruit and took a curious bite. The tiny citrus pearls burst in his mouth, releasing a bright, refreshing flavor.

"It reminds me of the tropical fruits we have in Taiwan," he said with a smile. "But at the same time, it has developed its own distinctive character here in Hainan."

For Cheng and other members of a Taiwan media delegation visiting Hainan during the 2026 Hainan-Taiwan Cooperation Week, the finger lime became more than just an unusual fruit. It offered a glimpse into how this tropical island is combining its natural advantages with agricultural innovation to cultivate fruit varieties from around the world.

Taiwan journalists visit the fruit exhibition at the Window of World Tropical Fruits.

A Tropical Garden with Global Roots

The Window of World Tropical Fruit is unlike a traditional orchard.

Spread across lush tropical farmland, the demonstration park brings together premium fruit varieties introduced from Australia, Brazil, and other parts of the world. Walking through its gardens, visitors encounter giant passion fruit, finger lime, rare mango varieties and many other tropical species that are seldom seen together in one place.

For journalists from Taiwan, China's other major island province, Taiwan, where tropical and subtropical fruit cultivation has long been an important industry, the visit felt both familiar and surprising.

"Horticultural innovation has always been one of Taiwan's strengths," said Wang Yao-deh, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Independent News Group. "Seeing Hainan cultivate so many high-quality tropical fruit varieties demonstrates the island's growing capacity for agricultural innovation."

Located near 18 degrees north latitude, Hainan enjoys climatic conditions ideal for tropical agriculture. In recent years, the province has introduced fruit varieties from around the world while expanding research, cultivation and demonstration projects, gradually building a platform that connects international agricultural resources with the Chinese market.

A platter of tropical fruits.

Opportunities Growing Alongside the Free Trade Port

Natural conditions tell only part of the story.

Many of the people working in Hainan's tropical agriculture believe the island's transformation has also been supported by the development of the Hainan Free Trade Port.

Policies that facilitate the introduction of global germplasm resources, improve customs clearance efficiency, and encourage agricultural investment have made it easier for enterprises to bring premium fruit varieties into Hainan for research and cultivation.

Among those attracted by these opportunities is Chung Ming-han, a Taiwan resident and deputy general manager of Hainan Shengda Modern Agricultural Development Co., Ltd., which operates the Window of World Tropical Fruits.

"The Chinese mainland provides an enormous market with tremendous potential," Chung said. "For agricultural professionals and entrepreneurs from the Taiwan region, Hainan offers an environment where new fruit varieties can be introduced more efficiently, and innovative agricultural projects can continue to grow."

For Chung, the attraction lies not only in market size, but also in the chance to participate in the development of modern tropical agriculture.

Where Agriculture Meets Rural Development

The influence of the demonstration park extends well beyond its orchards.

Chen Ching-tsao, a professor from the Taiwan region currently teaching at Xiamen University, said Hainan's approach combines tropical agriculture with tourism, education and rural development.

"Hainan's natural environment provides excellent conditions for developing premium tropical fruit offerings," Chen said. "By introducing advanced agricultural concepts and integrating fruit cultivation with tourism and leisure experiences, local communities can create new sources of income while improving agricultural efficiency."

As new cultivation techniques become more widely adopted, local farmers have greater opportunities to grow higher-value fruit varieties and diversify their businesses through agritourism and agricultural experiences.

For visitors, the result is more than simply tasting exotic fruit. It is an opportunity to better understand how agriculture is becoming part of a broader rural economy.

Conversations Beyond the Orchard

As the visit came to an end, journalists lingered beneath the tropical trees, exchanging WeChat contacts with local agricultural experts and discussing fruit varieties they hoped to see again.

The conversations moved easily from cultivation techniques and climate conditions to tourism, education and future cooperation.

While the landscapes on the two sides of the Taiwan Strait have their own characteristics, agriculture remains a shared language built on experience, innovation and a respect for the land.

For the visiting journalists, the journey was not simply about discovering unfamiliar fruit. It was also about seeing how Hainan is leveraging openness, innovation and international cooperation to develop its tropical agriculture, while creating new opportunities for exchanges across the Taiwan Strait.

As Hainan's Free Trade Port continues to advance, its tropical orchards are becoming more than places where fruit is grown. They are emerging as meeting points where ideas, technologies and people come together, connecting local innovation with global agricultural resources.