Yantai apples have a history of more than 150 years. They are renowned worldwide for being bright in color, sweet, attractively shaped, and crispy.

It is thought that Yantai's 37 degrees north latitude provides the best natural conditions for growing apples. Yantai produces high-quality and reliable apple crops due to the sandy soil and its location facing the sea. 

Currently, there are about 810,000 households cultivating apples in Yantai, and the development of the city's secondary and tertiary sectors has also been fueled by the apple planting business. Millions of people now work in fruit processing, storage, transportation, and logistics, which has fueled the growth of the city's rural economy.

The regional brand value of the "Yantai apple" has reached more than 15 billion yuan ($2.16 billion), and it has been the number one brand in China's fruit industry for 13 consecutive years.

There are many varieties of Yantai apples, such as Zihong, Huangkui, Danding and Ruixiang, and each of them has overcome many difficulties in the research and development process.

Shao Gang has spent most of his years in the R&D of the new varieties of apples. The "Zihong Apple" was created by Shao and was selected as one of the top 10 brands of apples in China, and has also been recommended as a model brand by the China Apple Industry Association on numerous occasions. Thanks to the continuous efforts of Yantai farmers and researchers, Yantai apples are expected to reach even more consumers worldwide.

Yantai apples are bright in color, sweet, attractively shaped, and crispy. [Photo/VCG]