Expatriates try their hands at picking grapes

It was nearly 39 degrees Celsius on Friday afternoon, and the temperature was even higher underneath the grape trellises inside the greenhouses of Shanghai Malu Grape Park in Jiading District.

However, the broiling mercury did not dampen the enthusiasm of a group of expatriates who beat the summer heat and enjoyed the fun of picking grapes.

The famous sweet and succulent Malu grapes are ripening in Jiading.

The annual Shanghai Malu Grape Culture Festival, in its 24th version, kicked off at the park in Malu Town on Friday, inviting residents and tourists to enjoy the delight of picking and tasting the juicy fruit over the next three months.

Scott Kyle Stockton from the United States said he had a very pleasant experience.

"Today is a very hot day, but it is really nice to get out in the nature, and that was fun," he told Shanghai Daily.

It was his first visit to the park.

"I have never been to this grape park before, and there were a number of different types of grapes, and they tasted really really sweet and very delicious," he said.

"Today was very surprising and interesting," he said. "I got a lot of grapes, and I have some to share with my friends. I will definitely recommend the place."

It is the second year of Scott Kyle Stockton in Shanghai, who lives in Jiading and works as a teacher.

"I am still finding many new places (in Jiading), which are very interesting experiences," he said. "The Jiading Old Town with historic buildings is always nice to visit."

Kenny, from the United States, visited the park with his daughter.

"It is the first time that my daughter is here, which brings more sense for me," he said. "I am so happy about that and the atmosphere."

They picked a lot of grapes.

"I have every variety and all the varieties are good, really sweet," he said. "My daughter enjoyed it so much."

Expats also visited a cultural and creative bazaar and experienced the everlasting charm of China's intangible cultural heritage as part of the festival.

Among the offerings were haipai (Shanghai-style) pankou (buttons on cheongsam), lacquer fans and Suzhou embroidery.

A summertime cunwan (village version of Spring Festival gala) of the Jiading version presented a real visual feast, featuring a variety of shows from dragon dance and Yueju opera to cross talk and a magic show.

The festival running through October 8 comprises a slew of fun activities such as grape picking, grape planting, wine making, stirring fried grape tea and science popularization of grape. The park is expected to welcome a substantial influx of visitors during the season.

The Jiayuanhai Art Museum in Dayu Village which is pretty close to the park offers a short respite from the summer heat, where people can browse nearly 10,000 book collections from art to design and sip coffee at an outdoor terrace.

If you go

Shanghai Malu Grape Park

Tickets: 15 yuan (free for children under 1.3 meters and seniors over 70 years old)

Opening hours: 8am-4:30pm

Address: 29 Dazhi Road, Malu Town 馬陸鎮大治路29號

Tel: 021-59511816

Jiayuanhai Art Museum

Opening hours: 9:30am-5:30pm

Address: 39 Dazhi Road, Malu Town 馬陸鎮大治路39號

Admission: Free