Tainan is fruit country. The city is Taiwan's biggest grower of mangoes and pomelos and its second biggest for pineapples, and something is in season in every month of the year. The headline act is summer mango season, roughly June into July for the famous Irwin mangoes, when the hill towns around Yujing turn into one big fruit stall. In mango season we drive out to the countryside to buy straight from the farmers.
The seasons below come from the Tainan City Government Agriculture Bureau's crop calendar. Harvests shift a little with the weather each year, so treat the months as a guide.
The fruit calendar
| Fruit | Season | Main growing districts |
|---|---|---|
| Mango (芒果), grafted varieties such as Irwin | June to September | Yujing, Nanhua, Nanxi, Danei |
| Lychee (荔枝) | May to June | Baihe, Dongshan, Xinhua, Nanxi, Liuying |
| Longan (龍眼) | June to September | Dongshan, Nanxi, Nanhua, Liujia |
| Avocado (酪梨) | June to November | Danei |
| Sugar apple (釋迦) | July to March | Guiren, Rende, South District |
| Pomelo (文旦) | August to September | Madou, Xiaying, Danei |
| Ponkan mandarin (椪柑) | October to December | Dongshan, Baihe |
| Orange (柳橙) | October to March | Liujia, Dongshan, Baihe, Danei, Liuying, Nanhua |
| Indian jujube (棗) | November to February | Yujing, Nanxi, Guanmiao, Nanhua |
| Plum (梅) | March | Nanxi, Nanhua |
| Pineapple (鳳梨) | All year, best April to July | Guanmiao, Xinhua, Shanshang, Yujing, Guiren, Nanxi, Longqi |
| Guava (芭樂) | All year, best December to January | Yujing, Nanxi, Danei, Nanhua |
| Papaya (木瓜) | All year, best November to April | Danei, Nanhua, Nanxi, Yujing |
| Banana (香蕉) | All year, best October to January | Baihe, Nanhua, Zuozhen, Yujing |
| Starfruit (楊桃) | All year, best January to April | Nanxi, Yujing |
| Melon (洋香瓜) | All year, best January to February | Dongshan, Houbi, Baihe, Yanshui, Beimen, Jiangjun |
| Watermelon (西瓜) | All year, best April to May | Guiren, Shanhua, Houbi, Madou and others |
In short: winter is jujubes, guava, oranges and starfruit; spring brings plums and the first pineapples; summer is mangoes, lychees and longans; and autumn is pomelos for the Mid-Autumn Festival, then ponkans and sugar apples.
Mango season
Tainan grows more mangoes than anywhere else in Taiwan, by both area and harvest, mostly in the hill districts of Nanxi, Yujing, Nanhua, Guantian, Danei and Zuozhen. The star is the Irwin mango, Aiwen (愛文芒果) in Chinese: bright skin, fine flesh, high sweetness and a strong perfume. Yujing (玉井) is known as the home of the mango.
The Agriculture Bureau's calendar gives June to September for grafted mangoes, but the Irwin peak comes early. In 2026, Irwins were already on sale by late May, and by mid-July the city was telling buyers the season was almost over. If mangoes are the point of your trip, aim for June or early July.
- Tainan International Mango Festival. In 2026 it ran from June 27 to July 12, opening at Zoumalai Farm (走馬瀨農場) in Danei, with market days in Nanxi, Zuozhen and Yujing. → Festivals and events
- Ordering a box. Each season the Agriculture Bureau publishes a list of farmers' associations, co-ops and growers that take mango orders, from gift boxes to family boxes. Prices, sizes and delivery are set by each supplier, so ask them directly.
Fruit markets
The big wholesale fruit market in the middle of Yujing, the Yujing fruit market (玉井青果集貨場, also called 玉井青果市場), is a wholesale and retail fruit market. In season it is one of the best places to buy fresh mangoes, with Irwin alongside other varieties such as Yuwen (玉文) and Jinhwang (金煌), and buyers come from around Taiwan. In 2026 the mango festival's Yujing market day was held there on July 12.
We couldn't find official opening hours for the Yujing market, so check locally before you go.
The big fruit market we've been to ourselves is the Xinhua fruit and vegetable market (新化果菜市場), and a market like this is the best way to see what is in season. It is a wholesale market in Xinhua District, opened in December 2022, designed by the Dutch firm MVRDV with LLJ Architects under a rolling green roof that visitors can walk on. Most of the trade is wholesale, but some vendors also sell retail. → Tainan's fish and food markets
Madou pomelos for Mid-Autumn
Tainan is Taiwan's biggest pomelo-growing area, about 1,080 hectares or roughly 28% of the country's crop, and Madou (麻豆) is the name everyone knows. Madou pomelos (麻豆文旦) are fine-textured, juicy and sweet, and the harvest starts in late August so the fruit is ready for the Mid-Autumn Festival, when pomelos are a holiday tradition. In 2026 the Madou Pomelo Festival opened the season on September 12.
- Let them rest. Growers advise keeping freshly picked pomelos in a cool, airy spot for one to two weeks. The skin turns from pale green to pale yellow and the flesh gets softer, juicier and sweeter.
- Picking one. Look for fruit that feels heavy for its size, with a flat base.
Pineapples, sugar apples and the rest
Guanmiao pineapples (關廟鳳梨). Tainan is Taiwan's second biggest pineapple grower after Pingtung, and Guanmiao is the city's biggest pineapple district, also known for green bamboo shoots. Pineapples are around all year, but April to July is the best of it. In 2026 the city's pineapple and bamboo shoot season opened in Guanmiao on April 25.
Guiren sugar apples (歸仁釋迦). Guiren is the biggest grower of the large-eyed sugar apple in western Taiwan. The season runs from July into the next March, and the district's sugar apple festival was on August 8 in 2026.
Dongshan ponkans and longans. Dongshan (東山), up in the hills, grows ponkan mandarins (October to December), oranges and longans, as well as its famous coffee. → Dongshan coffee
Xinshi white wax apples (白蓮霧). A rarity: only 32 of Xinshi District's old white wax apple trees are left. In 2026 the district's white wax apple festival was on June 21.
Guava from Shanshang. Guava grows across the hill districts all year. Shanshang District counts it among its signature crops.
How to buy
- In the city: traditional markets and fruit stalls carry whatever is in season. → What to eat in Tainan
- At the source: for the best fruit, go to the growing districts in season, to the farmers' markets and festival days, or to the Yujing market for mangoes. The hill towns are easiest with a car or a driver.
- Take it home: many countries restrict fresh fruit in your luggage, so check your home country's rules before you pack any.
Want a fruit day built into your trip? → Work with us
Sources: Tainan City Government Agriculture Bureau: Tainan crops and seasons (updated April 2023), mango ordering, May 2026, mango order list, updated July 2026, Irwin mango judging, June 2026, Yujing mango day, July 2026, Madou Pomelo Festival, September 2026, pineapple season, April 2026, Guiren Sugar Apple Festival, July 2026, Shanshang guava, September 2026; Tainan City Government Major Events 2026; UDN (Yujing fruit market, July 2026, Xinshi white wax apples, June 2026); TVBS SuperTaste (mango festival guide, 2026); CNA via TVBS (resting Madou pomelos, 2019). Checked October 2026.