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Berry festival for debut of the blue
By Nie Xin |
July 10, 2009, Friday
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THE healthy blueberry is making a splash this weekend with a picking festival in Hangzhou's Yuhang District where China's largest crop is growing, as Nie Xin reports. The blueberry fruit is mainly native to North America, Europe and Southern hemisphere but crops are now thriving in Yuhang District of Hangzhou.
The first Yuhang Blueberry Festival will be held from tomorrow to July 25 and the new-era king of healthy fruit will be introduced to a wider audience of Chinese people.
The festival is being staged on the site of the blueberry farm - Xianzhai Blueberry Garden - located in Yuhang District.
Zhejiang Berryland Blueberry Development Co established the garden and started cultivation in 2005. The area now is the biggest blueberry cultivation site in China with 200 hectares out of a total plantation area of 4,000 hectares. After four years' nurturing, the fruit is now ready to bloom.
The season for picking blueberries in Yuhang will continue to the middle of August. During this period, all people who are interested in picking the fruit themselves and buying fresh blueberries are welcome.
"There is no entrance fee to get into the garden," says Ye Feng from Hangzhou Daily Press Group, one of the organizers of the festival. "If they buy blueberries from the garden, discounts will also be provided."
Other activities will also be held during the festival apart from picking blueberries. These include an exhibition of blueberry products over the coming weekend with visitors being able to enjoy blueberry tasting, see products being processed and enjoy the blueberry bonsai display. A blueberry photography exhibition will also be held.
Dietary minerals
The blueberry is a new fruit to Chinese people and more locals are getting to know of its diverse range of micronutrients and notably high levels of essential dietary minerals, such as manganese, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin K and dietary fiber.
Some animal studies have found that blueberry consumption lowers cholesterol and total blood lipid levels, possibly affecting symptoms of heart disease. Feeding blueberries to animals has been proven to reduce brain damage in incidences of stroke. Research at Rutgers University has also shown that blueberries may help prevent urinary tract infections.
Reports from a 2007 symposium on berry health benefits showed consumption of blueberries (and similar berry fruits including cranberries) may alleviate the cognitive decline occurring with Alzheimer's disease and other conditions of aging.
The organizer of the festival, Yuhang government, is inviting 50 people to join the opening ceremony tomorrow and pick the blueberries.
"The festival organizers will provide a free day trip to the lucky participants," says Ye. "They will also be provided a half price discount if they buy blueberries there."
The organizers will provide a coach to deliver them to the garden. Apart from transport, participants will also be provided necessary sun screen facilities and a free lunch.
Readers who are interested in participating and would like to be chosen as one of the lucky to join for free can apply by dialing Mrs Shang on 137-3550-1111. By taking advantage of the opportunity to visit this unique blueberry festival, tourists should also spend the rest of the day seeing more of what the beautiful Yuhang has to offer.
Yuhang District is located on the Hangzhou-Jiaxing-Huzhou plain in the north of Zhejiang Province at the south end of the Grand Canal which links Beijing to Hangzhou. It's in the center of the Yangtze River Delta region.
As a cradle of Liangzhu Culture, which is often regarded as the "Dawn of Chinese Civilization," Yuhang is regarded as the hometown of fish and rice, the house of silk, a garden of flowers and fruits and the land of multiple cultures.
The total area of the district is 1,220 square kilometers, with a total population of 819,000.
It's ranked 15th among the Top 100 Counties/Districts of China in comprehensive development evaluation. With picturesque landscapes, Yuhang has a very rich, natural and historic heritage. The tea saint Lu Yu, the great poet Su Dongpo and the famous inscriptor, calligrapher and painter, Wu Changshuo, all left their distinctive marks on the land of Yuhang.
The district's famous scenic spots include: Chaoshan Hill, one of the three most famous places to enjoy plum flowers; Jingshan Hill, a famous Buddhist holy land; Dongmingshan Forest Park and Huangheshan Tiandu City; and places with historical heritage such as Liangzhu Culture Museum.
The first Yuhang Blueberry Festival will be held from tomorrow to July 25 and the new-era king of healthy fruit will be introduced to a wider audience of Chinese people.
The festival is being staged on the site of the blueberry farm - Xianzhai Blueberry Garden - located in Yuhang District.
Zhejiang Berryland Blueberry Development Co established the garden and started cultivation in 2005. The area now is the biggest blueberry cultivation site in China with 200 hectares out of a total plantation area of 4,000 hectares. After four years' nurturing, the fruit is now ready to bloom.
The season for picking blueberries in Yuhang will continue to the middle of August. During this period, all people who are interested in picking the fruit themselves and buying fresh blueberries are welcome.
"There is no entrance fee to get into the garden," says Ye Feng from Hangzhou Daily Press Group, one of the organizers of the festival. "If they buy blueberries from the garden, discounts will also be provided."
Other activities will also be held during the festival apart from picking blueberries. These include an exhibition of blueberry products over the coming weekend with visitors being able to enjoy blueberry tasting, see products being processed and enjoy the blueberry bonsai display. A blueberry photography exhibition will also be held.
Dietary minerals
The blueberry is a new fruit to Chinese people and more locals are getting to know of its diverse range of micronutrients and notably high levels of essential dietary minerals, such as manganese, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin K and dietary fiber.
Some animal studies have found that blueberry consumption lowers cholesterol and total blood lipid levels, possibly affecting symptoms of heart disease. Feeding blueberries to animals has been proven to reduce brain damage in incidences of stroke. Research at Rutgers University has also shown that blueberries may help prevent urinary tract infections.
Reports from a 2007 symposium on berry health benefits showed consumption of blueberries (and similar berry fruits including cranberries) may alleviate the cognitive decline occurring with Alzheimer's disease and other conditions of aging.
The organizer of the festival, Yuhang government, is inviting 50 people to join the opening ceremony tomorrow and pick the blueberries.
"The festival organizers will provide a free day trip to the lucky participants," says Ye. "They will also be provided a half price discount if they buy blueberries there."
The organizers will provide a coach to deliver them to the garden. Apart from transport, participants will also be provided necessary sun screen facilities and a free lunch.
Readers who are interested in participating and would like to be chosen as one of the lucky to join for free can apply by dialing Mrs Shang on 137-3550-1111. By taking advantage of the opportunity to visit this unique blueberry festival, tourists should also spend the rest of the day seeing more of what the beautiful Yuhang has to offer.
Yuhang District is located on the Hangzhou-Jiaxing-Huzhou plain in the north of Zhejiang Province at the south end of the Grand Canal which links Beijing to Hangzhou. It's in the center of the Yangtze River Delta region.
As a cradle of Liangzhu Culture, which is often regarded as the "Dawn of Chinese Civilization," Yuhang is regarded as the hometown of fish and rice, the house of silk, a garden of flowers and fruits and the land of multiple cultures.
The total area of the district is 1,220 square kilometers, with a total population of 819,000.
It's ranked 15th among the Top 100 Counties/Districts of China in comprehensive development evaluation. With picturesque landscapes, Yuhang has a very rich, natural and historic heritage. The tea saint Lu Yu, the great poet Su Dongpo and the famous inscriptor, calligrapher and painter, Wu Changshuo, all left their distinctive marks on the land of Yuhang.
The district's famous scenic spots include: Chaoshan Hill, one of the three most famous places to enjoy plum flowers; Jingshan Hill, a famous Buddhist holy land; Dongmingshan Forest Park and Huangheshan Tiandu City; and places with historical heritage such as Liangzhu Culture Museum.
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