Sheshan Town’s fruits to temp tourists

Xue Liangliang and Yang Yang

SHESHAN Town in Songjiang District will develop its agritourism industry to boost rural revitalization, township officials said during the launch ceremony of the Second Shanghai Sheshan Honey Peach Picking Festival in August.

Sheshan has more than 10 peach varieties planted in orchards that belong to four fruit cooperatives in the town.

The varieties range from Songjiang local, Shanghai local, out-of-town to overseas and have won multiple prizes during competitions in Shanghai. Honey peaches from Sheshan are even listed as national distinctive agriculture products.

However, due to their short storage life and fragility in transportation, the traditional business mode of honey peaches restricts the development of peach industry.

Agritourism solves the problem by injecting traditional peach industry with a new life.

The flower god festival in Xinzhen Village every March combines flower appreciation with intangible culture displays and makes peach orchards wonderful places for spring outings. The peach-picking festival in summer makes orchards good destinations for families.

“By introducing agritourism, we see customers experience more and participate more,” said Jin Yongmin, head of the Xinyu Fruit Cooperative in Songjiang.

In addition, an ecological and sightseeing peach center is under construction in Sheshan, according to Dai Yeyong, chief of the Sheshan agriculture service center. The peach center, expected to have an exhibition area of 1,970 square meters, will serve multi-functions such as cold storage, exhibiting and housing sightseers.

“Agriculture in modern society is not merely about farm product trading. It requires us to grow well farm products, sell them at good prices and make good use of them,” said Wang Yihai, deputy chief of Sheshan economic development office.