The World Desert Wine Capital Wine Culture Tourism Festival promotion event extends a captivating invitation to the world...

On July 26, the "2019 Wuhai World Desert Wine Culture Tourism Festival Promotion (Press Conference)," hosted by the Department of Culture and Tourism of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the Inner Mongolia Council for the Promotion of International Trade, and the People's Government of Wuhai City, was grandly held in Hohhot.

During the event, Wu Yewen, Vice Mayor of the People's Government of Wuhai City, pointed out that Wuhai is an industrial city in the western part of the autonomous region. In recent years, it has proposed a tourism-first development strategy, actively exploring a high-quality development path guided by ecological priority and green development. The city has continuously intensified ecological construction efforts, striving to build an ecological corridor centered around the Wuhai Lake Scenic Area, with ecological greenbelts formed by shelterbelts along borders, roads, mountains, and rivers. It is firmly committed to protecting this beautiful landscape on the northern frontier of the motherland. After more than 40 years of unremitting efforts, Wuhai has transformed from the "Sea of Black Gold" into a true desert oasis.

Over 200 participants attended the press conference, including experts from China and abroad in the wine industry, leaders from relevant departments and commissions of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, leaders from the People's Government of Wuhai City and its relevant departments, distributors of alcohol and food products in Inner Mongolia, representatives of entrepreneurs from Hohhot, wine consumer representatives, and media outlets at all levels.

Guests at the event gained an appreciation of Wuhai’s urban environment where desert and water blend through a promotional video, as well as the magnificent frontier scenery of “lonely smoke in the vast desert and the setting sun over the long river.” They experienced the interplay of flat lakes in the desert and layered mountain ranges; the majestic expanse that overlooks fertile lands; the enduring cultural imprints that have been preserved for millennia; and the seamless integration of nomadic culture with diverse orientations—forging a unique rhythm that is soothing, serene, rich, and vibrant. All of this belongs to Wuhai.

At the press conference, Ms. Song Xia, Director of the Wuhai Municipal Bureau of Culture, Sports, Tourism, Radio, Film, and Television, provided a detailed introduction to the series of activities for the "2019 Wuhai World Desert Wine Culture Tourism Festival." Director Song stated that the festival will officially commence on September 18–20, 2019, and through three days of concentrated events, it will showcase the unique charm of Wuhai, the capital of desert wine, from multiple perspectives.

The distinctive cultural tourism resources of a “mountain-sea-desert city—come to the desert to see the sea,” the Wuhai lifestyle of “gourmet food, fine wine, beautiful scenery + outdoor sports,” and the full-ecosystem chain of the desert grape industry will further enhance the global visibility of the world’s desert wine brand and the influence of Wuhai’s wine-producing region. Through the event, Wuhai aims to establish itself as a world-class theme tourism destination for desert wine, promoting deeper integration and development across primary, secondary, and tertiary industries.

Bruno, the chief French winemaker at Hans (a renowned European winemaker), and Li Hua, a Chinese wine expert, delivered speeches at the event, highlighting the significant importance of Wuhai’s desert wine—for both Wuhai and the world. The wine professionals of Wuhai are developing the desert wine industry, particularly the winery sector, with respect for nature, people, and future generations. The unique climate and soil conditions in Wuhai allow grapes to grow under various stress conditions, which also enables the grapes to develop bioactive compounds beneficial to human health. These secondary metabolites produce unique aromatic substances, pigments, and tannins in the grape skins, giving Wuhai’s desert wine distinctive terroir characteristics unmatched by other wine-producing regions.

At the press conference, guests such as Han Jianping, Huang Jianqing, and Li Zhenjiang shared their visions for the 2019 Wuhai Desert Wine Culture Tourism Festival and extended invitations to the world.

Wine enriches the image of Wuhai, one of China’s top ten leisure-quality cities, while the wonderful ambiance of wine adds a poetic and fragrant charm to Wuhai, the city of calligraphy. Along with the development of the grape industry chain, Wuhai’s wine industry has continued to grow and mature, becoming a new brand for this romantic city.