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Malaysia is promoting its durian varieties through the Kuala Lumpur Durian Experience Centre and growing exports to China, where demand for the fruit is rising rapidly.
Malaysia is expanding its durian industry by opening a dedicated experience center and pushing exports to China, the world's largest durian importer. The Kuala Lumpur Durian Experience Centre near the Petronas Twin Towers launched this summer after an investment of nearly $2 million.
Durian Experience Centre Draws Visitors
The two-story center spans about 1,900 square meters (20,450 square feet) and is open daily. Visitors can explore a replica durian orchard to learn about the fruit's culture and history. A theater show draws laughter in one room, while downstairs guests enjoy durian platters and egg tarts. The durian shop welcomes guests from morning to midnight.
Founder Edison Ang said the center targets local customers and tourists, especially from China. He said Chinese palates have long been influenced by Thai durian culture. What we actually hope for now is not to get people who do not eat durian to start eating durian, he said. Instead, we hope consumers who are already eating durian from other countries will switch to Malaysian durian.
In 2025, China imported 1.87 million tonnes of fresh durian worth $7.5 billion, according to its customs data. Volume jumped over six times in the past decade. Thailand secured over half that market by value in 2025. Malaysia began exporting fresh durian to China in 2024 and was dwarfed at first.
China Demand and Malaysia Export Push
But for the first half of 2026, the value of China's fresh durian imports from Malaysia quadrupled compared with the same period last year. Malaysian growers typically do not harvest early. They collect only naturally ripened fruit caught in nets or ropes as they fall. Ang said that is the industry's biggest advantage and also its biggest weakness.
Sellers race against time because the fruit's shelf life is at most two to three days. Any delays affect quality. When his stock was held up for several days during customs checks, his refund rate climbed. Durian sales are also sensitive to economic conditions, said Leron Yee, founder of DKing, whose business covers export and domestic markets.
When the Chinese economy performs well, his business improves. If the buying power of Chinese consumers falls, he needs to find alternative markets. It is a luxury, not a necessity, he said. Businesses are finding opportunities in what the fruit can become.
Durian Products Expand Brand Value
Yee's business sells durian paste, durian-flavored chocolate and mochi, and even mooncakes ahead of the Mid-Autumn Festival. DurianBB founder Adrian Choy's company offers durian ice cream, desserts and dried durian at a cafe, alongside coffee flavored with the Musang King variety and other items. His brand also offers guided farm tours. In July, Choy's brand launched a durian flower perfume that smells sweet and floral.
Choy said branching into other products is important because it adds value to the food itself and differentiates his business, even when others compete on price. Food is food, he said. You cannot sell it like 50% more because your branding is different. Across China, durian specialty shops have mushroomed, with some specializing in Malaysian varieties.
In Beijing, the Jiang Sir durian shop sells platters priced roughly between 300 and 1,000 yuan (about $44 to $150), depending on the weight of the pulp and the varieties chosen. Its employee, Hou Yuxin, welcomed the growing number of similar shops and brushed off pressure from competition. She said it would help boost the market for Malaysian durians. She noted many people now want to enjoy durians during their trips to Malaysia.
Malaysian Durian Shops Win Consumers
Back at Ang's center in Kuala Lumpur, Henry Zhang was one of them. Zhang, a visitor from Shanghai who started eating durian during his university days, saw a durian no bigger than his palm for the first time. He said Malaysian ones were creamier than those from Thailand and had different flavors. He was impressed by the center offering more than just the fruit.
I may still eat durians from other countries. But after eating them, I may miss Malaysian ones even more, Zhang said.
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