The 2021 Annual Conference of Chinese Society of Citriculture, 2021 Sichuan 
Flower (Fruit) Eco-tourism Festival & 4th Late-maturing Citrus Festival in 
Meishan, held by Sichuan Provincial Forestry and Grassland Administration and 
Meishan Municipal People's Government, will take place in the city of Meishan 
between April 11th and 13th.

This edition of the gala will adopt the "online+offline" format and 
incorporates industrial symposium, professional procurement, media openness and 
public participation. The event was participated by more than a thousand 
attendees including experts and scholars from the Citrus Society of China such 
as Chinese Modern Citrus Industry Technology System Chief Scientist academician 
Deng Xiuxin, Citrus Society of China Honorary President professor Zhou 
Changyong, delegates from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of 
China, Sichuan Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Sichuan 
Provincial Bureau Forestry and Grassland and the Chinese Academy of 
Agricultural Sciences, and government officials, scientific research institute 
teams and distributor representatives from 18 provinces and municipalities.

The event wil take place with the central theme of "Meishan Chunju - Taste of 
Spring - Fruits of Great Health" and feature the "Meishan Chunju" as its 
centerpiece. The northern hemisphere lacks fresh fruits during early spring, 
but the "Meishan Chunju" is able to conquer countless Chinese and overseas 
foodies thanks to its unique combination of sweetness-acidity balance, 
juiciness, crunchy yet soft texture with little fiber, distinct flavor profile 
and wealth of nutrients.

Meishan, a city situated in the west of China, has long been known as the 
"China's home of longevity" and birthplace of esteemed ancient scholar Su 
Dongpo. With a time-honored history of citrus cultivation, Meishan has 
accumulated extensive citrus cultivation traditions and sophisticated 
techniques, and local citrus were already renowned as imperial tributes as far 
back as Tang dynasty some 1,200 years ago. Located around the 30th parallel 
north, Meishan's mild climate has neither severe winters nor harsh summers, and 
very few frost or snow, which are conditions ideal for fruits to survive 
winter. The unique purple soil here is well-endowed in nutrients and elements 
like calcium, phosphorous and potassium that are particularly conducive to the 
growth of citrus. In recent years, Meishan has actively pursued cooperation 
with scientific research institutions to speed up the conversion of scientific 
and technical research outcomes in areas such as new species and new 
technologies, resulting in prominent competitive advantages enjoyed by "Meishan 
Chunju" and quickly building a reputation as "China's home of late-maturing 
citrus".

"Meishan Chunju" is a regional public brand for the Meishan citrus industry and 
is represented by the high-quality, late-maturing citrus grown locally in 
Meishan and comprised of eight pillar varieties, namely Buzhihuo, Chunjian, 
Qingjian, Aiyuan No.38, Dayagan, Wogan, Makedou and Penggan. At the same time, 
it is a geographical indication and Danling Jucheng, Qingshen Penggan and 
Pengzu Shougan have obtained national protection of geographical indication 
status and agro-product geographical indication status, as introduced by Li 
Yong'an, a researcher at the Meishan Dongpo District Citrus Industry Promotion 
Service Center.

"Meishan Chunju" ripens in spring and embodies the delights of the season. With 
carpel membrane as thin and light as the wings on a moth, and soft and 
succulent sacs filled with juice, peel apart a Meishan Chunju and revel in the 
spray of fragrant mist, then take a bite and relish in the juice that flows 
across the palate like a crystal spring. Use the tongue to lightly squeeze on a 
juice follicle and let it explode in a conglomeration of tantalizing sweetness, 
with a gastronome going so far as to claim that Meishan Chunju is the 
"explosive caviar in the world of fruits".

A healthy produce, the "Meishan Chunju" has been honored as a "Leading Food 
Safety Brand of China". Safety and quality are guaranteed by upholding 
ecological and healthy principles, sticking to an ecological cultivation model 
that features aspects such as orchard row-middle Sod maintenance, 
environment-friendly protection and control and irrigation-fertilization 
integration, and adhering to citrus production technical specifications and 
"Meishan Chunju" collective product standards. Highly nutritious with a rich 
content of vitamin C, citric acid and other healthy substances, Meishan Chunju 
is beloved for its thirst-quenching, appetizing, tonic and beautifying 
qualities, dubbed the "gastronomic miracle of the 30th parallel north" and the 
"soft gold" among fruits.

"Meishan Chunju" is a symbol of prosperity among common folks. At present, the 
whole city of Meishan has around 1.05 million mu in citrus plantations, 
including 880,000 mu for late-maturing citrus. The city's citrus industry is 
valued at RMB11.5 billion, employs 1.03 million persons and records more than 
RMB10,000 in income increase per capita, genuinely making it a top industry for 
promoting income growth in farmers.

Today, not only has the Meishan Chunju build up a stellar reputation across the 
nation, but can also be found in markets as far as Southeast Asia, Eastern 
Europe and North America. These late-ripening fruits are aptly delivering the 
best tastes of spring to all corners of the world. 

Source: Meishan Municipal People's Government