Visitors pick loquats in Yangdun village, Leidian town, Huzhou's Deqing county on May 16. [Photo/hz66.com]

Loquat trees in Leidian town, Huzhou's Deqing county have recently entered their harvest season.

With a history of 1,400 years in Leidian town, the fruit has become an engine fueling local rural revitalization efforts. Official statistics show that the town's loquat plantation is close to 5,000 mu (333.33 hectares), with an annual output of nearly 2,000 metric tons.

A cultural festival themed around loquats have also been staged annually in its Yangdun village, drawing numerous visitors from the Yangtze River Delta region, a region encompassing the provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui, as well as Shanghai municipality.

In addition, local authorities have been actively expanding the fruit's sales channels by tapping into e-commerce opportunities. A national base incubating rural e-commerce talents has been inaugurated in Yangdun village after five years of preparation.

This year, the best picking period for loquats in Leidian town runs from May 15 to 30, and its sales can last until the beginning of June.