A cherry picking festival kicked off on Wednesday in Liangshui village of Batang township, Bishan district of Chongqing, as some 533 hectares of cherry orchards in the cloud-covered mountains welcome a bumper harvest.

This is the ninth year of the festival, which the local government created to be an agritourism and health preservation hot spot. It features cherry-picking, online group purchases, and agricultural product exhibitions.

According to Zhang Wu, the village chief of Liangshui village, local cherry growers have greatly benefited from the plant. Usually, around March and April, the base attracts a tremendous number of visitors, drawn by the sight of blossoming cherry flowers and the fun of cherry picking.

He said that with a bumper harvest, the farmers could earn over 2,000 yuan ($276.44) per mu (0.06 hectare).

The event includes online and offline sales of locally-made agricultural products and runs until April 30.