Keelung's Marling area sees a trend of adopting whole trees; the family activity of heading up the mountain to pick pomelos is catching on

(Taiwan TB News Network / Reporter Chen Nianzu) Qidu in Keelung has had a bumper pomelo harvest, with the pomelos sweet and richly fragrant. In the pomelo groves planted in the Marling mountain area, a trend of adopting entire pomelo trees is emerging. Adopting one tree can yield a thousand pomelos, and the family leisure activity of heading up the mountain to pick pomelos is catching on.

Boss Zhang of the Jin Mingchang Leisure Farm, a major grower in the Marlingkeng area, said that in previous years pomelo yields were limited, and many savvy pomelo-picking households would pay 5,000 yuan for a 50-year-old pomelo tree to take the whole tree, then around the Mid-Autumn Festival bring family and friends up the mountain to pick pomelos.

⟧NL⟧ This year, spared from typhoon damage, pomelo trees laden with fruit sway in the wind, giving off wave after wave of pomelo fragrance.

Su Renhe, chairman of the Democratic Progressive Party's Keelung City Chapter, out of support for local agriculture and seeing the rare quality, immediately ordered several boxes of pomelos to share with friends from all walks of life.

Legislator Cai Shiying, to get the ball rolling, bought 100 boxes of pomelos, both to reward the hardworking volunteer firefighters and to donate to the Ren'an Foundation for the foundation to hold its "Cold-Weather Scholars Celebrate Mid-Autumn" care event on the eve of the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Keelung City Mayor Lin Youchang, along with Huang Jianfeng, director of the city government's Department of Economic Development, and Zeng Ziwen, director of the Department of Tourism and City Marketing, joined forces to promote Keelung pomelos from the Qidu Marling leisure agriculture area, urging everyone to buy pomelos fresh and in abundance.

Keelung Mayor Lin Youchang pointed out that the pomelos planted in the Qidu Marling mountain area have all entered the harvest period. In the past, because Qidu's pomelo output was not large, the fruit was often snapped up through corporate orders or by well-connected city residents. This year, with fewer typhoons causing trouble, the output has increased compared with previous years, so 200 boxes of pomelos are being released for people from all sectors to purchase.

Director Huang of the Economic Development Department said that now is a good time: you can adopt an entire pomelo tree, buy a whole box, or get the 3-piece small box for small families.

For pomelo trees over 20 years old, the original adoption price by tree age ranged from 5,000 yuan to 2,500 yuan; now you can get a bargain and adopt a tree at the special price of 2,000 yuan.

A 1-box 10-jin pack of pomelos, originally priced at 500 yuan, can now be bought at the special price of 400 yuan. The 3-piece box of pomelos is 200 yuan. It can be said to be a great opportunity to buy good pomelos.
           Mayor Lin Youchang (center), along with Huang Jianfeng, director of the Economic Development Department, and Zeng Ziwen (right), director of the Department of Tourism and City Marketing, jointly promote Keelung pomelos from the Qidu Marling leisure agriculture area. (Text: Chen Nianzu; Photo: Keelung City-)