Daxing Watermelon Festival!

In Beijing, watermelon is celebrated in a great way. Every year, from May 28 to 1st of June, people all over the world join in to eat watermelon in a very hot summer day. According to legend, the watermelons were originated in the African Desert and were brought to Xianjiang Uyghur region by the Silk road in the han dynasty spreading it to the northern China in 1000 ad. In an area called Pangge town, Daxing District, watermelons grew and became the main industry. One of the important festival is the the watermelon competition held every May 25, 3 days before the festival starts. This festival was first launched in 1988.
In the competition, judges choose the ''King of Watermelons'' based on apearance, taste and size. The winner brings home about 10 000 Yuan.

                                                   

This festival is a great way to enjoy watermelons and have fun with many people around the world showing their different and exotic watermelons. It is a great because, we get to see watermelons we can't see anywhere else. It's almost similar to the Pumpkin smashing contest in the US, but without the smashing part.

                                              

In fact, there is one held in May 2011, for any interested in meeting new people and seeing new things. This festival is held in Beijing, the capital of China which makes it an even more interesting tourism spot because of all the amazing sculptures and buildings in Beijing. You can visit the Forbidden City, the Tiananmen Square, the temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, Ming Tombs, the Great Wall or even the Olympic Sites in Beijing. There are many reasons to visit Beijing, and the Daxing Watermelon Festival is one of the great things you can enjoy there.

Bibliography:

http://www.chinahighlights.com/festivals/beijing-daxing-watermelon-festival.htm
http://www.chinatraveldepot.com/N692-Daxing-watermelon-festival-(2010-6-1)