Nature works its magic in Chongqing

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A farmer picks oranges in Fengjie county. (Source: China Daily)

FINDING FENGJIE'S SWEET SIDE

Besides beautiful landscapes, Fengjie county in the northeast of Chongqing has another attraction for visitors—oranges. The county is one of the nation's major production areas of the fruit.

At an orange farm, visitor Chen Peng is excited to pick oranges from the trees and eat them up.

"The oranges are very fresh and juicy. With the fresh air and country view, it is a worthwhile trip for city dwellers," he says.

"After exploring the sinkhole and the cave, orange picking is relaxing," Chen says.

Orange farms in Fengjie have expanded to 20,000 hectares, according to 2013 figures. The total output of oranges was 230 million kg, which earned the local farmers a total of 1.13 billion yuan ($181 million), according to Zhu Mao, head of the county.

"About 30 percent of the population in Fengjie makes a living from orange trees," Zhu says. The county has 300,000 orange famers, and many of the farms are open to visitors.