Judges grade the displayed grapes at a competition at the grape fair in Tongzhou district, Nantong. [Photo/ntfabu.com]

A provincial grape festival opened on Aug 18 at Zhou Ji Green Expo Garden in Tongzhou district, Nantong, Jiangsu province, which included a competition to find the best grapes, and also served as a promotion for local rural tourism.

A total of 342 grape samples from 38 varieties produced by 230 farms across Jiangsu took part in the judging, which assessed the grapes for the shape of the bunch, sweetness, taste and weight of a single grape. 

The event selected 10 samples for outstanding awards, 50 for gold prizes and 70 for silver. Two samples produced in Tongzhou district won outstanding awards.

In recent years, Tongzhou has been upgrading its grape industry by introducing new varieties and high-tech production facilities and expanding its sales channels.

According to local senior agronomist Yan Guihua, the district's grape cultivation area and output last year reached 900 hectares and 15,000 tons, respectively, with a total value of 500 million yuan ($72.45 million).

The district has established 15 grape orchards, which combine tourist sightseeing and fruit picking.

Qu Linxia, operator of a local family orchard, is able to sell her grapes at a maximum of 60 yuan per kilogram, thanks to the fruit's high quality and booming rural tourism. She said half of her grapes are picked by tourists visiting the farm for recreation.

To date, Tongzhou has established more than 50 rural tourism destinations, including seven tourist resorts, four tourism villages and three themed farms at the provincial level.

"The district's annual revenue from the tourism industry has maintained a double-digit growth for years," said Cao Weikang, deputy director of the local tourism bureau. 

"In the first half of this year, Tongzhou received 1.99 million tourists, earning 3.14 billion yuan," Cao added.