Rural vitalization blossoms with cherry industry boom in Shandong town

A tourist picks cherries in Chayekou town, Laiwu district, Jinan. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

In early summer, the cherry-picking orchards in Chayekou town, Laiwu district, Jinan are popular destinations for tourists, who can not only enjoy the fresh, delicious cherries, but also experience the fun of picking them.

The town is promoting the cherry industry by exploring various development models, such as "e-commerce and industry", "picking and tourism", and "retail and processing", said Wang Wenwen, deputy head of the town.

This year, the town has introduced an educational cherry-picking tour, providing new momentum for the cherry industry. The annual output value has already exceeded 200 million yuan ($27.68 million), Wang added.

To date, the town has successfully hosted 16 consecutive Cherry Cultural Tourism Festivals, showcasing its industrial development and technological achievements and gradually strengthening its cherry brand.

Various cherry wine products are displayed. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The town plans to further extend the industrial chain by launching deeply processed products like cherry wine, canned cherries, and cherry juice. The goal is to create a modern cherry cultural pastoral complex to promote rural vitalization. (Edited by Yang Yi)