Dazeshan town in Qingdao boasts more than 300 varieties of grapes. [Photo/qingdaonews.com]

The Qingdao Dazeshan Grape Festival opened in Pingdu, a county-level city in East China's Shandong province, on Sept 7.

The town of Dazeshan has hosted the grape festival for 35 years and its grapes are reputed to be on a par with those from Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, which is believed to produce the best grapes in China.

The town in northern Qingdao has an ideal climate and terrain for planting grapes. The grape planting industry in the town has a history of more than 2,100 years.

Dazeshan boasts more than 300 varieties of grapes, including Muscat Hamburg, Zeshan No 1 and Golden Finger. It also owns 11 local varieties named Yubo that are cultivated through hybridization.

Visitors pick up grapes at a local grape farm in Dazeshan town, Qingdao. [Photo/qingdaonews.com]

The town's local vineyards, which cover more than 2,333 hectares and have an annual output of 100 million kilograms, generate more than 700 million yuan ($108.65 million) for farmers every year and is a major source of income for villages.

To expand the grape planting industry, the local government has focused on innovation, cultivated the wine industry and promoted grape tourism.

The annual grape festival plays a key role in promoting the town's grape industry. In addition, the town has been developing rural tourism through grape planting and picking farms, wine production bases and leisure spaces.