Thursday marks Grain Rain, the last solar term in spring. Let"s take a close look at Jiangsu in spring and learn about the local customs of Grain Rain.

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During the period before and after the Grain Rain, the new shoots of Chinese toons have just sprouted. There is a folk custom of eating Chinese toons during the Grain Rain, also known as "eating spring". Many citizens will take advantage of this time to buy some Chinese toons and taste them fresh.

“Now is the time for the release of Chinese toon. I like to eat fried eggs with Chinese toon”, said a resident of Changzhou.

In traditional customs, on the day of Grain Rain, Jiangsu people would drink "Grain Rain Tea" because the tea picked before Grain Rain is tender and fragrant, with the best taste.

As the weather heats up, the peonies, known as the king of flowers, begin to bloom. Grain Rain and peony flowers always come together, so there is a folk custom of admiring peonies during Grain Rain, and many people also call peonies "Gu Yu Hua".

The Jianfengyuan Bee Industry Professional Cooperative in Jurong County attracted swarms of buzzing bees with a large area of rapeseed flowers. More than 30 beehives were neatly arranged on an open space of the cooperative, and a strong and intoxicating aroma of honey wafted in the air.

“Look at this. It"s all pure natural honey, rapeseed honey. A box of bees can produce five or six catties of honey, that’s for sure”,said Shu Jinbo, Director of Professional Cooperation in Jianfengyuan Bee Industry, Xiashu Town,Jurong.

The season of blooming spring flowers is also the busiest and sweetest time of the year for beekeepers. Shu Jinbo said that the honey harvesting period starts in mid-March and continues until the end of early November.

The Jianfengyuan Bee Industry Professional Cooperative sells honey for 120 yuan per kilogram, and royal jelly for 200 yuan per kilogram.

Xiashu Town has helped 210 farmers increase their income by providing free bee breeding, technical guidance, and unified recycling of honey products.

In Dafeng District, Yancheng City, 78000 mu of fresh and green garlic sprouts have entered the harvest period. Due to effective measures such as increasing organic fertilizer application and adjusting sowing time in the early stage, the quality of garlic sprouts has been improved. This year, the average income per mu can reach over 6000 yuan.

The cherry planting base in Ganyu District of Lianyungang City is grown with 150 mu of large cherries that have been sold to large and medium-sized cities such as Shanghai and Nanjing. In a cherry orchard in Suzhou, April cherries are grown in the open air. Fruit farmers say that the recent temperature is suitable for cherry growth, and the yield per mu will reach 3000 to 4000 kilograms this year. At present, the reservation for self-pick tours during the May Day period has reached 80%.