Harvest season kicks off in northwestern Beijing's Yanqing

A tourist picking grapes in a vineyard in Yanqing on Sept. 15. [Photo by Chen Yi / China.org.cn]

A gala show was staged in northwestern Beijing's Yanqing district on September 15, raising the curtain on Yanqing's Joyful Harvest Festival and the 2nd Yanhuai River Valley Grape Festival.

Grape fields entered harvest season in Yanqing in September. Grapes here are known for their sweetness and organic standards, as Yanqing has a high altitude, ample sunshine and fluctuating daily temperature, all favorable for growing grapes.

Yanqing has witnessed rapid growth of green agriculture and agricultural sightseeing in recent years. As China set up the nation's first Farmers' Harvest Festival on annual autumnal equinox, which falls on September 23 this year, Yanqing is warming up for the festival celebrations by offering visitors a variety of programs including a chrysanthemum festival, two-day farming trip, farm games and land boat dance.

In the following month as of Sept. 15, tourists in Yanqing can not only pick and taste the fresh grapes, other fruits and vegetables while enjoying the golden autumn view of Yanqing.

Yanqing is building itself from a place of flowers in all seasons into the "capital of gardening" as it is gearing up for hosting the 2019 World Horticultural Expo.