A short trip to the suburbs brings nature and hidden beauty in Liantang Town.

The 2023 Shanghai Liantang Jiaobai Festival and Liantang Town Culture and Tourism Festival began in Qingpu District on Friday, offering a unique experience into local agriculture.

Bazaars featuring tubu (homespun cloth) dyeing and jiaobai (wild rice shoots) leaf weaving craft works, rice cakes, fresh jiaobai, and local rice are being held at Jiuzhou Xianjing Plaza, and seven villages such as Dongzhuang and Xulian, and Liantang Ancient Town scenic area through October 6.

The history of jiaobai planting in Liantang dates back to nearly 70 years ago.

The Taibei Village, with a planting area of about 6,000 mu, and an annual yield of 12.5 million kilograms of the agriculture produce is the biggest planting base of jiaobai in Liantang.

"Jiaobai planted in the village has three varieties and they hit the market at different times," said Zhang Huanfeng, Party secretary of the village. "In addition to the Yangtze River Delta region, our jiaobai is sold in Guangdong and Sichuan provinces and Beijing."

"Liantang jiaobai tastes sweeter, softer and more glutinous than other places, and braised jiaobai or jiaobai with braised pork in brown sauce are famous signature cuisines of Shanghai," said Zhang.

A two-day picking tour was launched at the same time, enabling tourists to appreciate the autumn scenery, taste local specialty and enjoy a rustic lifestyle of Liantang.

The route covers the Liantang Ancient Street, Baihui Ecological Garden, Dongzhuang Village, and local minsu (Chinese version of B&B).

People will enjoy the fun of camping, barbecue, outdoor sports, picking, and afternoon tea at local cafes and the rustic life at local homestays under starry skies.

As a highlight of the festival, a walking tour will be held on Saturday when 500 people will walk into forests in Liantang in a 10-kilometer tour and experience the natural oxygen bar while appreciating the natural beauty of the town.

The festival with a perfect blend of ecology and tourism has become a major and influential festive event of the town.