We’re all pretty much ready to experience another unique Chinese festival. Another year to get together and to show the best of the harvest is to do it with pride. It is a time to show off a year’s work; the work of a whole region. It is another year in which to promote the culture of the region and for visitors to sink their teeth into a juicy watermelon.
What we’re talking about is the 24th annual Beijing Daxing Watermelon Festival 大兴西瓜节. This year temperatures will be high and so will expectations.
The 28th of May is a big day. It is the day when Chinese farmers from the district of Daxing 大兴区, located in the South of Beijing, come together for Daxing’s watermelon festival. Farmers will compete for the prize for the best watermelon, showing off their the most spectacular watermelons in China. Alongside the farmers will be friends, family and people who are there to have a fun day out and to get to know more about Daxing’s culture. Daxing is also known as ‘the agricultural district of Beijing.’ What better place to go than here on a hot day to enjoy Chinese products 中国生产商 discover all kinds of melons and participate in activities linked with this juicy fruit and other cucurbits.
The long history of planting watermelons 西瓜 in the district of Daxing has given rise to a rich and unique culture. For this reason, in 1988 the district committee the principal leaders. They decided that the Beijing Daxing Watermelon Festival would be held on June 28 each year (though since 2001, the date has changed to May 28).
Since its inception in 1988, the Festival has become one of the most important events in China for the promotion of culture and creation of business opportunities. The highlight of the 2012 Watermelon Festival is the famous contest that determines who will be the “King of watermelons.” This competition takes place in the Watermelon Museum 西瓜博物馆 in Daxing. There are various categories by which the melons are judged: weight, appearance, sugar content, skin thickness and the quality of the edible flesh. Experts will decide which will reign and the winnerwill be rewarded 10,000 yuan ($1,594) in recognition of their watermelon planting skills.
It is not just about the competition, though. Activities held during the festival include performance shows, trade talks, tourism, trade fairs, a melon challenge competition and training for Chinese farmers 中国农民. Visitors are educated on how watermelons are grown. On May 29, people can be driven around exhibition rooms in Nanhaizi Park in Daxing where watermelons are displayed creatively. There will of course be a market where you can try and buy the best watermelons in China, and if you like, you can even pick your own!
Learn or Practice Your Chinese Mandarin Vocabulary
Now it is time to practice Chinese Mandarin and learn Chinese Characters with Confucius during the Beijing Daxing Watermelon Festival. You can find related Chinese Characters and their Chinese to English translation in this Vocabulary table.
Article Source: Chinese Culture Institute News
