The 20-day 2nd China Maple Art Festival kicks off in Aolin Seedling Garden, Qidong, Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province, on Dec 3. [Photo/WeChat account: qdrmt0513]

The 20-day 2nd China Maple Art Festival was unveiled in Aolin Seedling Garden, Qidong, Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province, on Dec 3.

Activities such as a photography exhibition, on-site painting and calligraphy and tambourine performances are underway there.

Founded by Guo Zhongliang, a retired teacher from Qidong, Aolin Seedling Garden has become a popular sightseeing attraction.

It is also the largest Japanese maple seedling base in China. Maples were grown over an area of 200 mu (13.3 hectares) at the beginning of the 21th century and 3,800 mu today.

In addition, the seeding base plans to cooperate with the Institute of Ecological Conservation and Restoration of the Chinese Academy of Forestry to establish a saline-alkali soil experimental station at the estuary of the Yangtze River, which will study the Japanese maple tree species resistant to salt and alkali soil and drought to aid the preservation and restoration of the Yangtze River estuary.

An aerial view of Japanese maple trees in Aolin Seedling Garden, Qidong, Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province. [Photo/WeChat account: qdrmt0513]