The apricot harvest season in the Shaoshan community in Qingdao, Shandong province has begun.

The Shaoshan Mountain area in Chengyang district, Qingdao is a famous apricot production base with a long history.

The planting area for apricots here spans more than 2,000 mu (133.33 hectares). The area is also home to over 100 century-old, high-yield apricot trees.

A vendor sells apricots in the Shaoshan community in Qingdao, Shandong province. [Photo by Wang Hua/provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

An orchardist holds apricots she picked in the Shaoshan community. [Photo by Wang Hua/provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Apricot is a nutritious fruit that is popular among the Chinese. [Photo by Wang Hua/provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The Shaoshan red apricot has a soft and sweet flesh and is rich in nutrition. [Photo by Wang Hua/provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A vendor sells apricots in the Shaoshan community in Qingdao. [Photo by Wang Hua/provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A farmer returns home with a basket of apricots in the Shaoshan community in Qingdao. [Photo by Wang Hua/provided to chinadaily.com.cn]