Sanshigang Watermelon Festival kicked off in Sanshigang town, Luyang district, Hefei city, Anhui province on May 31 and continued until June 22.

The juicy festival, hosted by the Luyang district government, allowed visitors to taste, buy and pickle watermelons produced on the vast plantations of Sanshigang, a large watermelon producer in Anhui.

As one of the most influential agricultural festivals in Anhui, Sanshigang's Watermelon Festival has played an important role in branding the district, increasing farmers' incomes and promoting the industrialization of watermelon planting. It is also a good opportunity to promote the district's tourist resources.

 This year's festival, focusing on innovating more activities, provided visitors with interesting experiences, such as a watermelon gourmet competition, a competition for local cuisines, and cycling in the Dongque Reservoir.

During this year's Watermelon Festival, in addition to traditional boutique watermelon species including "Sweet Little Girl", "Early Spring", and "Sugar Kelin", a new species "Colorful Watermelon" appeared for the first time. With less water and a richer texture, this kind of species has yellow melon pulp and can stand long-term storage. It's said that it is particularly suitable for the elderly to eat.

In previous years, Hefei citizens have had to go to the town directly to buy authentic Sanshigang watermelon, but in early June this year, watermelon distribution points were set up in the center of Luyang district including Wada Plaza and three Hongfu supermarkets. The distribution and sales were managed by a dedicated company who provided standard packages. In addition, the price of watermelon was decreased from 5-8 yuan per unit to 3-6 yuan this year.

Sanshigang Watermelon Festival kicks off in Sanshigang town, Luyang district, Hefei city, Anhui province on May 31 and continues until June 22.