Hanting district in Weifang, Shandong province kicked off the Weixian radish cultural festival and the radish quality improvement competition on Nov 25.

Visitors sample radish products at the radish cultural festival. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The event also saw the release of a map of well-known radishes in Hanting, as well as the launch of the Wintertime Yellow River Grand Fair.

The attendees of the award ceremony for the competition also enjoyed a cultural performance at the radish carnival and participated in various radish-themed festival exhibitions and activities.

Weixian radish planting is one of the well-known industries in Hanting. Weixian radish has a crispy texture and is rich in nutrients.

A radish carving work is exhibited at the radish cultural festival. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

According to official statistics, Hanting has nearly 1,000 households involved in radish cultivation and over 60 professional radish planting cooperatives. The radish cultivation area in Hanting now stands at 50,000 mu (over 3,333 hectares) and has an annual output of 150,000 metric tons.

Hanting has in recent years attached great importance to the development of the Weixian radish industry and the improvement of radish quality. Efforts have been made to strengthen the protection of germplasm resources, increase the breeding of radish varieties, and develop standardized planting bases. The Weixian radish quality improvement competition has also been held annually.

Through quality enhancement and brand building, the value of Weixian radish products has increased by three to five times, greatly increasing local farmers' incomes.

The estimated brand value of Weixian radish is now expected to reach 2 billion yuan ($280.75 million), according to local officials.

Winners of the radish quality improvement competition. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]