By Chen Jing
‘It’s so big!’...On 14th August, the 3rd Grape Culture Festival of Chongchuan Economic Development Zone was held. More than 10 international students from the School of International Education of Nantong College of Science and Technology participated. Through grape picking and grape eating competitions, they experienced the charm of traditional Chinese farming culture.
Walking into the No. 1 greenhouse of the plantation, the air was filled with the fragrance of fruit. ‘In 3 minutes, please search carefully and pick the biggest grape. Later they will be weighed on the spot to determine the winner!’ Before the host finished talking, the international students instantly became ‘grape hunters’.
Li Xueli from Indonesia carefully held up a heavy string of ‘Shine Muscat’, and picked the biggest and fullest grape. Li Xintian from Bangladesh adopted the ‘carpet style searching’ strategy, like searching for treasures in the jungle. 3 minutes later, everyone lined up to weigh their ‘trophy’. ‘22g! My one is the biggest!’ In the end, the ‘Shine Muscat’ grape picked by Li Xueli won the crown of ‘Grape King’.
Grape eating competition started, with five people in each group, each with 10 grapes in the bowl, competing for speed. Li Xintian rubbed his hands in eagerness, could not wait to join the competition. In less than one minute, Li Xintian raised his hand first, and easily won the ‘speed eating champion’ in the first round.
At the event site, Chongchuan Economic Development Zone also invited successors of Nantong characteristic intangible cultural heritages including the blue calico, Nantong pyrography, dough sculpture, and palm fiber weaving to present their works. The winners of the competitions received an exquisite intangible cultural heritage gift each.