A press conference on the Wenchuan sweet cherry picking festival was held recently in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province.

It is reported that the opening ceremony of the picking festival was held on May 19 in Wenchuan County.

Cherry trees were first planted in Wenchuan County in 1997 after they were imported from Europe. In Wenchuan, they are also called "sweet cherries".

During the 1870s, cherries were first introduced to Shandong province in east China. However, the difference in environment and climate makes the Wenchuan cherries better in quality than the Shandong cherries, and the former's fruity aroma is even more intense. Only in the mountains over 2,000 meters above sea level can the cherries enjoy more full sunshine. The plateau climate in Aba Prefecture, Sichuan has a great difference in temperature between day and night, which not only meets requirements for low temperatures for sweet cherries, but also has no worry of frost damage. The climate is very favorable for accumulation of sugar in the cherries and for the fruit coloring.

Editor: Tommy Tan.