The opening ceremony of the 13th Jingzhou Waxberry Festival.

The 13th Jingzhou Waxberry Festival kicked off on May 29.

Jingzhou waxberry, a nationally recognized geographical indication product, boasts a history of over 2,000 years. Known for its delicate texture, large and juicy fruit, vibrant color, rich flavor, and high nutritional value, it is acclaimed as the country’s best waxberry. In recent years, Jingzhou has enhanced waxberry quality through facility cultivation and preserved its freshness via cold chain logistics, boosting the high-quality development of the waxberry industry. The county has more than 100,000 mu (about 6,667 hectares) of waxberry plantations, including 68,000 mu (about 4,533 hectares) of standardized orchards in production, with an annual fresh fruit output exceeding 40,000 tons. This industry supports over 70,000 local residents in increasing their income, generating a total output value exceeding 1 billion yuan.

Waxberry-themed concert.

The Waxberry Festival is one of the themed events of the Fifth Hunan Tourism Development Conference, titled “Blessed Huaihua, Wellness Season”. It is also a focused effort to raise Jingzhou’s profile and highlight its distinctive cultural and tourism brand. The festival will continue through June, featuring waxberry-themed concerts and a photography exhibition titled "'Wonderful Jingzhou".

Tourists view photos during the photography show. (Photos by Peng Jun/Huaihua Daily)

At the opening ceremony of the festival, the original stage play Love in the Fragrance of Waxberry premiered. Awards were presented to eight star-rated waxberry orchards. Additionally, three themed waxberry festival tourism routes were launched.

Xiang Rulian, vice mayor of Huaihua City, and Zhong Qiuming, president of Hunan Labor and Human Resources Vocational College, were present at the event.

(Translated by Yang Hong)