Guilin's Dongchang town blooms with plum picking festival to enrich farmers

Farmers harvest Sanhua plums on site. [Photo/Guilin Daily]

More than 2,000 visitors visited Youmaping Ecological Agriculture Base in Lipu's Dongchang town, Guilin, for the Sanhua Plum Picking Festival on June 20, where they enjoyed picking and tasting fresh plums. 

For grower Zheng Mingqi, the festival led to a sales boost. His 10-mu (0.67-hectare) orchard produces 70,000 to 80,000 yuan ($9,763-11,158) every year from fresh plums. "The festival attracts more buyers," he said, noting a substantial rise in on-site purchases.

The initiative demonstrates rural revitalization by integrating industry, linking fresh fruit sales with processed product development to boost local income.

In its second year, the event aims to increase brand awareness and link agriculture with tourism. Using a "company + cooperative + base + farmers" model, the 4,000-mu (266.67-hectare) core area expects to produce 3,200 metric tons of commercial plums this year, valued at 12.8 million yuan, with sales of young Sanhua plums reaching 4,800 tons.