May is the perfect time to harvest cherries, which have plenty of nutritional and health benefits and are quite sought after among consumers.

More than 3,000 mu (about 200 hectares) of cherries are ripe in early and mid-May in Xifuzhen subdistrict, Chengyang district, Qingdao. Clusters of red cherries are dangling all over from tree branches, attracting many tourists to stop by and fill up their buckets while enjoying the vibrant rural landscape.

In recent years, Chengyang district has been ramping up efforts to develop characteristic agriculture and fruit economy, and tap into leisure agriculture and ecological tourism, in a bid to increase local farmers' incomes.

A farmer picks cherries in Xifuzhen subdistrict, Chengyang district, Qingdao when cherries are ripe in May. [Photo/Qingdao News]

A visitor picks cherries in Xifuzhen subdistrict, Chengyang district, Qingdao on a summer day. [Photo/Qingdao News]

The early cherry varieties are ripe in early May in Xifuzhen subdistrict. [Photo/Qingdao News]

A visitor picks cherries in Xifuzhen subdistrict, Chengyang district, Qingdao. [Photo/Qingdao News]

Cherries have a purple-red or bright red flesh that turns to dark purple when fully ripe. Cherries range in flavor from sweet to sour. [Photo/Qingdao News]

A child picks cherries in Xifuzhen subdistrict, Chengyang district, Qingdao. [Photo/Qingdao News]