Watermelon experts in high demand

Surrounded by hundreds of watermelons, a man uses his index finger to knock on each one, putting the good watermelons into boxes for sale and returning the others to suppliers. The man is Zhu Linjie, one of only a few authenticated watermelon experts in Shanghai.

Zhu, 35, has been a professional watermelon expert since 2009, as certified by the Shanghai Melons and Fruits Association. Working at the Shanghai Lyuni Melon and Fruit Professional Cooperative, his duty is to pick high-quality watermelons of the well-known local type 8424 during the watermelon season between April and September.

As a watermelon expert, summer is Zhu's busiest time, when he sorts through an average of about 2,000 to 3,000 watermelons every day from 7 am to 2 pm, checking them for their water content and sweetness.