Charming Zhenning, only "cherry" with you; scenic Maoliang, Zhenning cherries.
In April, when the flowers are in full bloom in Yin City and the cherry trees welcome another spring, the opening ceremony of the 2017 China Waterfall Hometown · Zhenning Cherry Picking Tourism Festival was grandly held on April 27 in Maoliang Village, Machang Town, Zhenning County. Yang Ling, Chairwoman of the Guizhou Provincial Women's Federation, Wu Kunfeng, former Director of the Agricultural Committee of the Guizhou Provincial People's Congress, Yang Xiaoman, Member of the Standing Committee of the Anshun Municipal Party Committee and Minister of the Publicity Department, He Weihong, Vice Chairman of the Anshun Municipal CPPCC, Gao Song, Head of the Human Resources Division of the Guizhou Provincial Poverty Alleviation Office, Teng Xingqi, Deputy Head of the Human Resources Division, Cai Yongqiang, Secretary of the Party Group of the Fruit Tree Research Institute of the Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, leaders from relevant municipal departments, as well as officials from the Zhenning Autonomous County Party Committee and County Government, tourists, growers, and media representatives — nearly ten thousand people — witnessed this grand opening ceremony of the cherry festival.
This year's cherry picking tourism festival follows the concept of "using culture as a platform, tourism as the main act, sharing ecology, and integrating agriculture with tourism." Through activities such as cultural performances, picking experiences, and sightseeing holidays, it helps promote the healthy development of the mountainous specialty agriculture-tourism economy and achieves an organic unity of prosperity for the people and ecological beauty.
It is understood that unlike previous cherry festivals, this year’s event features both fashion and continuity. First, the duration is longer. Based on this year's climate and the growth characteristics of cherries, the cherry picking activities will run from April 20 to May 10. Second, the picking area is more extensive. The activities are centered around Maoliang Village in Machang Town, where the opening ceremony was held, and extend to cover a wide range of cherry-producing areas across the county.
At the opening ceremony, Pan Dengling, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Zhenning Autonomous County Committee and County Governor, stated that today’s Zhenning is at a critical stage in the decisive battle against poverty. As the main cherry-producing area in Guizhou, Zhenning has a long-standing tradition of planting cherries around houses and on barren hills and slopes. In recent years, Zhenning has vigorously implemented industrial poverty alleviation strategies, promoting the transformation of cherry cultivation towards specialization, standardization, and industrialization. Currently, there are 52,000 acres of bearing cherry orchards, with plans to develop 100,000 acres of cherry industry bases. This has helped establish the prominent brand of "Zhenning Cherries," boosting agricultural output, increasing farmers’ incomes, alleviating rural poverty, adding warmth to development achievements, and enriching the content of people-benefiting results.
The opening ceremony also featured distinctive cultural performances. Internet celebrity "Cherry Brother" showcased his vocal talents, singing the complete version of the “Cherry Song”: “Zhenning cherries are indescribably fresh, unbelievably delicious, and sweet enough to stun a first love.” Meanwhile, the "Baima Lake Subdistrict, Muyi Town, Machang Town, and Jianglong Town" were officially designated as the main cherry-producing areas of Zhenning. Certificates for co-sponsoring the “Caring in Action · Growing Happy Cherry Trees Together” activity were also awarded to the generous donors who supported the initiative.
According to the organizers from Datang Culture, the “Caring in Action · Growing Happy Cherry Trees Together” campaign began soliciting public donations on the 14th of this month. For just 600 yuan, participants could co-sponsor a cherry tree and choose a disadvantaged household as their supported beneficiary. Moreover, all cherries harvested in the 2017 season from the sponsored trees would belong to the sponsors. Since the launch of the campaign, people from all walks of life have generously contributed, receiving strong support from caring individuals. At the event site, Gao Song, Head of the Human Resources Division of the Guizhou Provincial Poverty Alleviation Office, and Chen Shiping, Director of the Project Service Center of the Municipal Poverty Alleviation Office, presented co-sponsorship certificates to the donors.
Notably, this year’s China Waterfall Hometown · Zhenning Cherry Picking Tourism Festival also achieved full integration with big data and new media. The “Online Vote for the Cutest Cherry Baby” attracted over 1,700 contestants, with 500,000 votes cast and nearly 2 million visits. Meanwhile, events such as “Reliving Cherry Memories” and “Live Streaming the Cherry Festival by Internet Celebrities” were synchronized online and offline, bringing joy and unity while highlighting the positive energy of an “Open Zhenning” and spreading the good name of the “Most Beautiful Waterfall Hometown.”