He Fei, from Iran, the former representative of the Iran Tourism Administration in China and the host of a documentary jointly produced by China and Iran, has an strong relationship with Changshan's grapefruit.

Speaking of this relationship, He said that it was mainly due to Liu Feng, the founder of Huyouwa (Grapefruit Baby). In 2017, He met Liu Feng at a cultural exchange event between China and Iran. At that time, Liu was invited to show his work Huyouwa in Iran, and He became interested in the fruit after watching the short film.

When He returned to China from Iran after the cultural exchange, Liu invited him to visit Changshan. During his first visit to Changshan, He tasted the grapefruit for the first time. He fell in love with the fruit's slightly bitter, sour and sweet taste.

During an event held in Changshan in April 2021, He visited the grapefruit seedling cultivation center and plantation base and learned about the grapefruit industry.

"I didn't expect that a small grapefruit can make more than 70 products," said He Fei.

In 2021, He recommended Changshan as the shooting location for the third episode of the co-production documentary Road to the East organized by the Asia and Africa Center of China Media Group. The documentary started filming in Changshan on Oct 3.

He Fei, host of the documentary Road to the East, talks with local people in Changshan county, Quzhou, East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/qz828.com]

As a documentary meant to promote China in Iran, the third episode focuses on Changshan grapefruit and tells how the grapefruit industry can help local farmers increase their incomes through onsite visits and interviews.

"I have found many similarities between the Changshan grapefruit industry and Iranian lemon industry. For Iran, the cultivation, sale and industrial development of grapefruit are worth studying. I hope that this documentary will showcase the history and culture of Changshan grapefruit from our perspective and further deepen the friendship between China and Iran," said He Fei, host of the documentary.