Anhui apricot blossom festival draws thousands

Thousands of tourists flocked to a festival in Huaibei city of East China's Anhui province on Saturday morning to enjoy more than 330 hectares of apricot blossoms.

The apricot grove is at the foot of a hill in Huangli, a rural community of the city's Xiangshan district.

Local farmers started a massive planting of apricot trees on the barren area in the 1970s. The Huangli apricot was listed as a national geographical indication brand for agricultural products in 2016 and has been playing an important role in raising local farmers' incomes.

The festival, held for the fourth consecutive year, will last till Monday, while the blossoms will remain on the trees till the end of March.