PAKSE, Laos -- Chinese businessman Tao Jian spends an entire day navigating muddy roads on the Bolaven Plateau in southern Laos, inspecting his durian empire of 50,000 trees. The area is nicknamed the country's coffee capital, but soon it may also be known for the smelly, spiky "king of fruits" for which China has an insatiable appetite.
Laotian families set up roadside stalls like this one to sell their durians. But Chinese investors are moving in to grow the fruit on a much larger scale. (Photo by Beimeng Fu)
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