A farmer picks Red Beauty, a variety of citrus fruit, in Xiangshan county, Ningbo on Nov 16. [Photo/Ningbo Daily News]

The fifth Xiangshan Citrus Fruit Culture Festival kicked off in Xiangshan Film and Television City in Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang province on Nov 16, marking the start of the "Red Beauty" orange-picking season in Xiangshan county.

During this year's event, relying on the Alibaba Digital County Operation System (AliDCOS), a supply model was launched in which professional cooperatives will cooperate with farmers to provide high-quality fruit to costumers through online and offline stores such as Hema Fresh, the retail unit of Alibaba Group. 

Xianfeng Fruit, a company based in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, signed a deal with the Xiangshan County Citrus Industry Alliance to help promote and sell the fruit.

To integrate agriculture and tourism, Xiangshan county launched an activity this year, during which residents and visitors can spend 2,688 yuan ($420.93) on a Red Beauty tree. They can visit it offline or watch its growth in real time online and will receive all the fruit that the tree produces during this year's harvest season (more than 40 kilograms).

The Red Beauty planting area in Xiangshan was 2,600 hectares this year, and the total output is expected to reach 18,000 metric tons, accounting for more than half of the province's output.

Red Beauty is a variety of citrus fruit renowned for its sweet and juicy taste and pleasant aroma. Originating in Japan, it was introduced in Xiangshan county in 2001, and then became popular among locals and was promoted to other cities.