Edition: English | 中文简体 | 中文繁体 Монгол
Homepage > Culture Video

China's far west delivers tempting summer fruit

Reporter: Guan Yang 丨 CCTV.com

07-10-2016 10:36 BJT

The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region has always been celebrated as the kingdom of fruits. Various preserved and fresh fruits, nuts and deep processed fruit products from the region can be found on dinner tables across the country.

The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region has always been celebrated as the kingdom of fruits. Various preserved and fresh fruits, nuts and deep processed fruit products from the region can be found on dinner tables across the country.

The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region has always been celebrated as the kingdom of fruits. Various preserved and fresh fruits, nuts and deep processed fruit products from the region can be found on dinner tables across the country.

When the summer heat wave arrives, that means it’s time to harvest the Hami melons. Its name comes from the Hami city of Eastern Xinjiang. To bring out the natural sweetness, melon farmers like Iliyaz Yusef prefer not to use chemicals.

"The smell of Sophora root used during the ploughing season kept pests away from the melons," Iliyaz Yusef said.

In the business of Hami melons, buyers don’t mind paying a little extra as long as it comes straight from the farm. And with emerging e-commerce platforms, melon farmers have found a new way to boost their incomes by allowing customers to pick their tailored-made melons.

"Customers can take part in both ploughing and harvesting after placing an order online. It gives them an insight into where and how Hami melons grow and why the taste is unique. They can see traditional and organic farming methods as well," said Zhou Lijuan, melon farm manager of Hami, Xinjiang Uyghur Atonomous Region.

The city has had the ambitions of being the hub for Chinese melons. Since 1993, the annual melon festival has drawn thousands of visitors worldwide. After a quick bite of the mouthwatering melons, the scorching heat is no longer an issue.

When the Chinese mention the word "Hami", this is what they have in mind. Beside the great taste, Hami melons contain a great amount of vitamins: four times of those in watermelons, and six times of those in apples.

"As soon as we found out the new express delivery service was available, we bought quite a lot and sent them back home," said Yu Miaozi, tourist from Henan Province.

"We are proud of our fruit, it's the best you can find in China. And our organic fruits are rich in nutrients," said Zhang Wenchun, local resident.

It is hard to standardize agricultural products, but the local government has done a good job by applying the same label and packaging. This is a convenience for the supermarkets nationwide. And because the melon is easy to preserve, people can enjoy the mouthwatering fruit all the year round.

Follow us on

  • Please scan the QR Code to follow us on Instagram

  • Please scan the QR Code to follow us on Wechat