YANTAI, Shandong: The first China International Apple Festival was held here from October 27 to 29 in Yantai, Shandong Province of China. The festival focused on various events, including exhibits, signing ceremonies for new projects, and on-site observations. The event, which spanned almost 20,000 square meters and featured 904 exhibition booths, more than 24 delegations from major apple production areas and high-quality fruit regions from China and abroad, were invited. Over 300 members of agri-businesses also participated in the festival. In addition to Shandong, ten other provinces also participated in the exhibition, including Jiangsu, Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Jilin.
Different varieties of Apples at exhibition center
Several events were conducted during the first China apple festival. With the CPC Yantai Municipal Committee’s Publicity Department for more than ten foreign journalists and online celebrities from countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, India and Russia, China Daily arranged a tour of Yantai’s main apple production areas to highlight the successes in the growth of the Yantai apple industry. Yantai is well-known in China as the “hometown of apples,” and its apple-growing industry dates back more than 140 years. More than 100 varieties are grown in the city and sold across China and around the world. For their vibrant color and sweet and succulent taste, Yantai apples are renowned. Yantai is located at a high altitude in the eastern part of the Jiaodong Peninsula and boasts a mild climate. Its moist air and adequate sunshine, especially in summer and autumn, provide favorable conditions for the cultivation of apples, enabling the highest quality fruit to be grown.
In 2019, Yantai apples with a production of around 5.59 million tons were planted in an area of 2.82 mu (188,000 hectares). Currently, apples are exported to over 30 countries and territories, including Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Russia. Yantai apples bear a trademark certificate of geographical indication and enjoy a great reputation around the world. The city’s unique climate, geology, and water resources allow it to grow some of the world’s best fruits.
Penglai Haolin Fruit Cooperative
To experience the city’s booming apple industry, a group of expats paid a visit to an apple planting center in Guojia village, Penglai district, in Yantai on October 28. Established in 2016, the apple planting center is managed by the Haolin Fruit Cooperative, with a registered capital of 15 million yuan ($2.25). The cooperative has an annual harvest of high-quality apples of 18,000 tons and uses modern technology. It is fitted for its plantation with an internet of things device and offers and high-quality product testing. It also uses planting, irrigation, and soil quality adjustment technologies. A modern apple planting demonstration center has also been established by Haolin, which is currently a supplier to the Shenzhen Pagoda Industrial Group, a well-known fruit vendor in China.
Expats pose for a group photo at an apple planting center in Yantai
Giardino Estate
Giardino Estate, a Yantai-based sparkling wine producer, invited a group of expats to learn about wine production. Established in 2015, Giardino Estate specializes in the manufacture of sparkling wine, fruit wine and different forms of juices, most of which are low-alcohol content. The company has a storage tank that can produce 3,000 tons of sparkling wine and is the only specialist producer in China of tank-fermented sparkling wine. The company currently has an annual production capacity of 6,000 tons of wine. Still, it is projected to have an annual production capacity of up to 20,000 tons after completing the second phase.
Discover century-old Apple trees in Penglai
The centuries-old apple trees at Wosen orchard in Penglai district attracted a great deal of attention from international journalists, with their large leaves and thick trunks. The trees were introduced in 1871, almost 150 years ago, to Yantai. The orchard is home to apple trees that are more than a century old. The tree’s main trunk is 2.3 meters thick; its crown is 9.2 meters long from east to west and 11.7 meters long from north to south, and the tree’s height is exceptional. The tree produces 2,400 to 2,600 apples (5,00 kg) annually. The government of the district of Penglai is making strong efforts to protect the trees. It has formulated a comprehensive plan for managing the soil, fertilizer, water, and environmental conservation.
The event attracted more than 50,000 individuals from China and abroad, including 253 exhibitors and 2,118 businessmen and more than ten foreign journalists. More than 30 apple varieties grown in China were shown, and 13 apple varieties from eight countries, including the United States, New Zealand, Chile, Japan, South Africa, and Thailand, were shown in the international exhibition area. Various other objects, including Laiyang pears, kiwi fruit and more than 20 varieties of processed goods, were displayed. A total of 41 deals were made during the first China ‘Shandong’ apple festival between October 27 and 29, with a total investment of 37 billion yuan ($5.53). High-quality production, fruit processing, industrial investment, and trade collaboration were the festival’s focal points. In the pandemic background, a symposium was held to address the apple market’s development, share successful experiences, and examine the promotion of the potential high-quality production of Yantai’s apple industry and tourism.
