More than 20 families register through WeChat to experience the fun of picking fruit in the shed. [Photo/jiading.gov.cn]

The 2019 Wenxing Grape Picking Festival opened in Huating town in Jiading district of Shanghai on July 7. One of the many agricultural tourism activities in Huating, the festival has been held for seven years.

More than 20 families registered through WeChat and experienced the fun of picking grapes in a sheltered environment, a kind of shed. Several parents said that it was a good chance for children to get close to nature during the summer vacation and feel a happiness which they can’t feel in urban areas.

More and more citizens travel to Huating as the quality and popularity of Wenxing grapes improves. The vineyard has expanded from the former area of over 40 mu (2.67 hectares) to the current of over 100 mu. The number of people participating in the picking festival was estimated at 4,000 this year, said Lu Qiuqin, a vineyard staff member.

Tourism resources, including a cantaloupe theme park and Huating Renjia tourist resort, will be connected by Shuangzhu road in Huating town of Jiading district in the near future. [Photo/jiading.gov.cn]

As a significant agricultural town in Jiading district, Huating town is accelerating building its agricultural product brand and actively developing a tourism economy according to its characteristics, finding a new way for rural economic development.

Huating town is aiming to become a national modern ecological agricultural tourism demonstration area. In the near future, Shuangzhu road will connect several tourism attractions including a cantaloupe theme park and the Huating Renjia tourist resort. Moreover, a series of activities like a cantaloupe picking festival, a farming fun challenge and pastoral orienteering will be held in Huating town.

More than 2,000 mu of cantaloupes, honey peaches, honey pears and other fruits are being planted in Huating town now. Over 20 farming cooperatives have established technical cooperation with the district agricultural technology center.

Huating town has formed a variety of agricultural product brands including Huating cantaloupe, Cuiguan honey pear and Wenxing grapes. In ensuing years, Huating will build platforms to upgrade agricultural technologies and use the Internet to develop science and technology agriculture and to achieve quality and efficiency in agricultural economy.

Huating town has formed a variety of agricultural product brands including Huating cantaloupes, Cuiguan honey pears and Wenxing grapes. [Photo/jiading.gov.cn]