Tongzhou district launches a series of special activities to promote the development of the rural leisure tourism and agriculture industries. [Photo/WeChat account: wxtzfb]

In a bid to increase farmers' incomes and promote the sustainable development of rural leisure tourism and agriculture, a special meeting for promoting Nantong's rural leisure tourism and agriculture and the Qiyuan Cup Boutique Grape Festival will be held in Tongzhou district, Nantong from Aug 17 to 18.

The event is co-sponsored by the Tongzhou district Party committee and government as well as some municipal departments related to agriculture and rural affairs and leisure tourism.

The event consists of four special activities:

The Jiangsu provincial grape industry development conference: six industrial experts from the Jiangsu provincial agriculture and rural affairs department, the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and universities in Shanghai and Nanjing will deliver keynote speeches.

Grape evaluation: 15 grape-growing technologists in and out of Jiangsu province will evaluate 300 grape samples from the whole province and select 20 percent of them as gold medal award winners and 30 percent of them as silver medal award winners. The results will be announced at the opening ceremony of the grape festival.

Large scene singing and dancing gala: consisting of three chapters, the gala aims to show the idyllic beauty of rural areas, water towns and cityscapes in Tongzhou district.

Opening ceremony of the Qiyuan Cup Boutique Grape Festival: the festival will promote Nantong's rural leisure tourism and agriculture and display its fantastic pastoral beauty, local delicacies and quaint homestays. An APP named Suyun Xiangqing and two rural travel routes will also be initiated at the ceremony.