The ethnic Miao's Loucha Festival, namely the kiwi fruit picking activity, opened its doors to the public on September 27 in Xiuwen county, southwest China's Guizhou province.

The kiwi fruit produced in Xiuwen county, Guizhou province. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

The festival, themed with "Xiuwen Kiwi Fruit, Colorful Folk Culture", is to invite people everywhere to have a taste of Xiuwen's kiwi fruit and celebrate its harvest.

Also, a series of events will be included in the festival, such as the ethnic Miao's ritual slaughter and folk performance.

Xiuwen is a major county in Guizhou that produces kiwi fruit. It has a history of more than 30 years of planting this fruit.

People in Xiuwen county celebrate the kiwi fruit harvest.[Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

Its planting base was built in the 1990s, and by now, the planting area has reached 13,333 hectares, with an output value of 8 billion yuan ($ 1.30 billion). As many as 8100 households are engaged in the kiwi fruit planting, with a per capita income of 20,000 yuan.

Xiuwen county's kiwi fruit, with its good quality, has been awarded many titles, including "Guizhou Provincial Quality Product" in 2000 and "Guizhou Provincial Pollution-Free Agriculture Product" in 2004.

The end of September to early November is the best period for kiwi picking and Xiuwen's kiwi fruit has been sold to Shanghai, Shenzhen and Chongqing.

Xiuwen county's kiwi fruit

Kiwifruit is a rich source of vitamin C and vitamin K, and a good source of dietary fiber and vitamin E. Kiwifruit components, possibly involving vitamin E and omega-3 fatty acids from its numerous edible seeds, have potential properties as a natural blood thinner. Consuming two to three kiwifruit daily for 28 days has been shown to significantly reduce platelet aggregation and blood triglyceride levels, potentially reducing the risk of blood clots.

Xiuwen's climate condition is very suitable for planting kiwi fruit, with an average temperature of 13.6 C and annual precipitation of 1,235 mms.

Xiuwen county will build a comprehensive kiwi production park, integrating planting, deep processing, storage and logistics. It will be China's largest kiwi trading center after completion.