The 4th China (Ningxia) International Wine Culture and Tourism Expo kicked off on Aug 9, 2024 in Yinchuan, the capital of the Ningxia Hui autonomous region. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The 4th China (Ningxia) International Wine Culture and Tourism Expo officially kicked off on Friday in Yinchuan, the capital of the Ningxia Hui autonomous region. It has drawn wide attention from wineries, experts and officials in the global wine industry.

The three-day event attracted more than 300 exhibitors, including over 60 renowned wineries and presenters from countries such as France, Australia, Italy, Spain and Chile.

The expo comprises several events, including an international wine trade fair, a wine carnival, an international wine competition, a winemaking skills competition, and an international wine photography competition.

Baudouin Havaux, chairman of Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, said over 1,200 different wines participated in this year's Ningxia Helan Mountain East Foothill International Wine Competition, up 14.5 percent over the previous edition and almost double the number of the first edition.

"The average score and wine quality of this year's competition have improved significantly, with many exceptional wines emerging," Havaux said, noting that the style of Ningxia wines is becoming discernible.

The 4th China (Ningxia) International Wine Culture and Tourism Expo kicked off on Aug 9, 2024 in Yinchuan, the capital of the Ningxia Hui autonomous region. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Zhang Yupu, governor of Ningxia, said the region has emerged as the country's largest wine-producing area after more than four decades of development. It has about 40,000 hectares of grape plantations and 130 wineries annually producing 140 million bottles of wine.

He said the wine produced in Ningxia is exported to more than 40 countries and regions and has won more than 1700 awards in various international competitions, accounting for about half of China's total.

The 4th China (Ningxia) International Wine Culture and Tourism Expo kicked off on Aug 9, 2024 in Yinchuan, the capital of the Ningxia Hui autonomous region. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Zheng Zhishou, vice-chairman and secretary general of the China Council for Brand Development, said Ningxia's wine industry has seen a remarkable growth in brand value, reaching 33 billion yuan ($4.6 billion) in 2023.

Duan Changqing, a professor at China Agricultural University, said the Ningxia Helan Mountain East Foothill Wine Region has embarked on a series of technological explorations and innovations across the entire wine industry chain.

The innovative achievements have played an important role in reducing costs, improving efficiency, and ensuring the quality of the region's wine industry, he said.