Laoshan district has a long history of cherry cultivation, boasting a wide variety of cherry species known for their excellent quality in terms of color, shape, and taste. [Photo/WeChat account: qd12301]

The 2024 Qingdao Cherry Festival and the Beizhai Cherry Festival will kick off in Beizhai sub-district, Laoshan, Qingdao on May 10 and feature a diverse array of activities that will continue until mid-June.

This spring, Beizhai sub-district hosted the second Qingdao Cherry Blossom Festival, welcoming 527,000 visitors over the course of 10 days and generating a total income of over 41 million yuan ($5.67 million).

The cherries in Beizhai sub-district are currently entering ripe season, which means it is the perfect time to pick and taste them. Laoshan district has a long history of cherry cultivation, boasting a wide variety of cherry species known for their excellent quality in terms of color, shape, and taste. Among them, Beizhai sub-district stands out with over 550,000 cherry trees, producing nearly 30,000 metric tons of cherries annually, earning it the title "hometown of Chinese cherries." To date, the Beizhai Cherry Festival has been held over 28 times.

On the opening day of the festival on May 10, attendees will immerse themselves in a variety of exciting activities, including the launch of a rural art season to expand new formats and create a diversified development system brand encompassing fruit picking, vacations, sightseeing, and cultural arts.

In recent years, Laoshan district has accelerated the development of the agricultural, cultural, and tourism industries, integrating specialty agricultural products, tourism, leisure, and health care. Through such events as the cherry blossom festival, cherry festival, and tea festival, the district is promoting the integration and development of special industries, cultural experiences, and festival tourism, continuously forming a new model for the integration and development of rural revitalization in agriculture, culture, and tourism.