Waxberry-growing county enjoys sweet taste of success
Xianju County waxberries are in season once again.
Xianju waxberries are delivered to Shanghai on the day of picking.
Juicy and sweet waxberries have hit the market again and Xianju County in neighboring Zhejiang Province, known for the succulent fruit, is luring visitors from Shanghai with its annual waxberry festival and beautiful landscapes.
The festival, which runs through mid-July, features waxberry-related activities such as picking events, tasting competitions, webcasts, cultural events and countryside tours, the Xianju County government announced in Shanghai on Monday.
Waxberry cultivation in Xianju dates back to the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) and flourished in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing dynasties (1644-1911). The county has 13,425 waxberry trees which are more than 100 years old, including 28 which are over 1,000 years old.
The award-winning waxberries grown in Xianju are large, juicy and have a reddish-purple color and a sweet flavor thanks to its unique soil and favorable environment, said Yan Hairong, deputy Party secretary and governor of Xianju County.
Almost all households in Xianju grow waxberries, which usually ripen in June. The waxberry-growing area in the county totals 138,000 mu (9,246 hectares), and the local yield is expected to reach 100,000 tons this year.
The county has more than 50 waxberry villages and 25 waxberry sightseeing orchids.
During last year's waxberry festival, tourist attractions across Xianju recorded 2.38 million visitors, generating tourism revenue of 1.18 billion yuan (US$167 million). The occupancy rate of its minsu (Chinese-style B&Bs) reached over 90 percent.
In other seasons, its pitaya, blueberry, sunflower and lavender views also attract large numbers of tourists.
Xianju waxberries are delivered to Shanghai on the day of picking to ensure freshness, and a variety of by-products like waxberry juice, wine and enzymes have been developed, the county government said.
Xianju has launched a new countryside leisure and tourism route connecting peach flower appreciation spots, agricultural bases, Yangfeng Mountain terrace, Gaoqian traditional residence, Shanghengjie Village, and Dexin Liuxianli intangible cultural heritage street and Shenxianju, it said.
The area is also deepening the integrated development of agriculture and tourism, and has expanded sales models to include e-commerce platforms and livestreaming.
The county boasts a variety of scenic spots such as Shenxianju, a 5A-level national tourist attraction surrounded by hills, serene creeks, raging waterfalls and meandering mountain roads. There's also Yong'an Creek, famous for its fresh water and rafting.
It now takes about four hours to reach Xianju from Shanghai by car. The travel time will be cut to just 90 minutes by 2023 when the Hangzhou-Wenzhou high-speed railway starts operation.
