Xinfeng Township Farmers' Association

Speaking of Xinfeng, in addition to its renowned melons, other distinctive local souvenirs include 'Cui Feng Rice', the Farmers' Association's private label sold at the Xinfeng Township Rural Community Store; 'Big Mouth Eats Rice' from the production and marketing cooperative; duck egg products (salted eggs and century eggs) promoted by the township office and county government; sweet potatoes; peeled chili peppers and frozen packs of peeled chili chicken soup made with chicken thighs; Haifeng sorghum wine; and yellow-kernel black beans. 'Xinfeng's soil is sandy red earth, suitable for cultivating melons and fruits, and the melons grown here have very high sweetness.' After the evaluation of large watermelons, the Watermelon Festival is held on holidays. On that day, in addition to stalls selling watermelons and offering free samples for the public to taste, the home economics class also provides Hakka rice dishes, combining activities like health exercises, dance performances, watermelon hugging, and weighing competitions. Last year, the township office also organized the 'Xinfeng Watermelon Run' event, allowing everyone to enjoy eating, drinking, and playing all at once. The Watermelon Festival usually falls in mid-June each year, depending on the ripeness of the melons, which in turn depends on the weather. If there is enough sunshine, they can be harvested. Xinfeng has a long history of 'melon cultivation'. In addition to watermelons, the earliest cultivated cantaloupes (which have thicker skin and come in green-fleshed and red-fleshed varieties) and honeydew melons (commonly known as fragrant melons) are also renowned for their sweetness that makes people smile. 'Additionally, the freshness of a watermelon can be judged by its stem. If it still looks very green, letting it sit for a few more days will make it riper; if the color has already dried, it should be eaten quickly.' These tips for choosing melons are provided for visitors who come to Xinfeng to buy them.