I was lucky to get invited on a trip to one of Qingdao’s most popular Festivals, the Cherry Picking Festival.  Located in the Laoshan District the Cherry Picking Festival is a delight for many reasons.  

First of all, the wonderful little cherries that shine red on those trees, they are delicious.  For an entrance fee (15-20 rmb) you can enter the local's cherry grove (if that’s what you call a group of cherry trees located in rows) and pick and eat as many as you want.  You can also pick and take some home for those that want to make a liqueur or pie (about ten kuai for a large bag).

 The Best part of the Cherry Picking Festival is just getting away for a while.  Taking a trip out to Laoshan’s scenic country side can relax anyone.  It’s beautiful and shows you a side of Qingdao culture you can’t miss.

I had a great time with all the teachers at the Success Foreign Language School running around that orchard and eating up those little cherries.  I suggest this trip to everyone.  I am making it an annual one.  I thank them for this experience.

The Cherry Picking Festival is not in a certain park it is rather an area of Laoshan called Beizhai where all the Cherries are located.  The village we went to is called ZhouGeZhuang.  It is located beyond Beizhai up a hill.  The entrance fee is 10-20 rmb depending upon your bargaining skills and which orchard you approach.  There are still about 10 days left (Early June cherries are still here and there) for cherry picking--I would estimate.  Have fun.  If you have found that everyone ate the all cherries, Sorry!