Chongqing - A single seed, a wish spanning generations, and the unyielding dedication of a family have brought Xinjiang’s iconic Hami melon to Chongqing soil for the first time. This July, after more than half a century, “Watermelon Granny” Wu Mingzhu’s long-cherished dream of cultivating the sweet, fragrant fruit in her former hometown has finally taken root—thanks to the commitment of her son and granddaughter.

Wu Mingzhu, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and melon breeding expert, works in the field. (Photo provided by interviewee)

A Grandmother’s Dream Takes Root

At 95, Wu Mingzhu is a renowned Chinese Academy of Engineering academician and a legend in China’s melon industry. In the 1950s, after graduating from what is now Southwest University in Chongqing, Wu chose to forgo a prestigious job in Beijing and devote herself to melon breeding in Xinjiang’s harsh Gobi Desert. Over the decades, she developed more than 30 melon varieties, earning the title “Queen of Melons” in western China. Yet, she always held onto one regret: she hoped to see the Xinjiang Hami melon thrive in the humid hills of Chongqing, where her scientific journey began.

That wish became even more poignant in 2011 when Wu was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Despite fading memories, she often wondered aloud, "Could Chongqing's soil ever grow good melons?" For years, her son Yang Xia could only keep that hope quietly in his heart—after all, Hami melons prefer dry climates, while Chongqing is famously humid and sticky.

From the Gobi Desert to Chongqing's Greenhouses

The breakthrough came recently, when Yang Xia, now 66 and retired from teaching computer science, learned that Xinjiang scientists had bred a new Hami melon variety—descended from the very seeds Wu Mingzhu once collected—that could tolerate humidity and low light. Determined to finish what his mother started, Yang Xia enlisted his daughter, Yang Xiaohan, and together they set out to turn her dream into reality.

Yang Xia (left) and his daughter, Yang Xiaohan, check on the “Yulu Mingzhu” Hami melons at the Xishanping greenhouse. (Photo/Zou Fei, Shangyou News)

After scouting several sites, they settled on a farm in Xishanping, Beibei District, where sandy soil, higher elevation, and abundant sunshine provided the best conditions for melons. In March, they secured exclusive rights to the new "Bai 21-117" variety from Xinjiang, along with seeds for ten other types. Neither father nor daughter had farming experience—Yang Xia’s background is in engineering, while Xiaohan’s closest connection to melons had been choosing them at the supermarket. Their first weeks were spent poring over melon cultivation manuals late into the night and seeking advice from agricultural experts and local growers.

"The real challenge wasn’t just the climate, but meticulous management," an expert told Yang Xia. High humidity in Chongqing makes melons especially vulnerable to diseases, so the pair logged daily observations, measured plant growth, and treated the crop proactively. They even learned to suspend the fruits from strings to keep them off the damp ground, ensuring every melon basked in sunlight.

Passing Down the Sweetness

After months of care, eleven melon varieties flourished in the Beibei greenhouses. The "Bai 21-117" stood out with its crisp white flesh and honeyed flavor, reminiscent of the melons Wu once sent from Xinjiang. To honor her, the family named their best fruits "Yulu Mingzhu," a tribute to both Wu and the half-century-old promise she made to herself.

When the first batch ripened in late July, Yang Xiaohan rushed to share the news with her grandmother. Although Wu, now 95 and wheelchair-bound, struggles with memory loss, she savored a bite of the melon, softly repeating just one word: "Sweet."

Staff harvest ripe Hami melons. (Photo/Zhang Chunxiao, Visual Chongqing)

Inspired by her grandmother’s legacy, Yang Xiaohan began sharing their journey online. Her videos—featuring old photos from Wu's breeding days in Xinjiang and clips of their family tending the fields—quickly went viral on Douyin (TikTok’s Chinese version), garnering millions of likes and tens of thousands of followers. Viewers called Wu a “guardian angel of melons” and expressed gratitude for her contributions to agriculture.

Media outlets soon picked up the story, turning the Wu family's journey into a national sensation. Yet for the family, the work is far from over. Yang Xiaohan says they are already preparing to test a second batch of seeds, hoping to find the best Hami melon variety for Chongqing's climate—and eventually build a local brand for these "melon babies."

As agricultural technology advances, Chongqing’s farmers are writing their own sweet stories. The local Academy of Agricultural Sciences has developed innovative techniques to grow watermelons off the ground, doubling yields and meeting consumers’ demand for tastier, healthier fruits.

For the Wu family, each "Yulu Mingzhu" melon is more than a fruit—it is a symbol of three generations’ hope, love, and perseverance, finally realized on Chongqing soil.