Yinchuan- Northwest China's Ningxia, a leading wine-producing region, is hosting a wine-themed international conference and an expo in its capital city, Yinchuan. 

As China's first national-level event focusing on wine, the 2023 International Conference on Grape and Wine Industries opened on June 9 and features forums on climate, technologies, trade and investment, as well as wine culture and tourism.

The event aims to deepen exchanges and collaboration among wine-producing regions globally, boost integrated development between the wine, culture and tourism industries, and promote the Helan Mountain wine brand in Ningxia.

The International Conference on Grape and Wine Industries, as well as the third China (Ningxia) International Wine Culture and Tourism Expo, opened on June 9. (Photo/The Conference Committee)

Ningxia aims to become the "Wine Capital of the World," and the event will contribute to the deep opening up of characteristic industries in western China and the promotion of rural revitalization.

Agricultural ministers of 47 countries in the world's major wine-producing regions, diplomatic envoys to China from 14 countries, 9 international wine organizations, and other officials participate in industrial summits and forums. 

A total of 2,000 wine products from over 100 enterprises from 12 wine-producing regions across China are displayed.

At one of the parallel forums, the China-France Wine Culture and Tourism Forum discussed the potential cooperation between the two sides. (Photo/Gaowei Zhang)

The International Conference on Grape and Wine Industries, as well as the third China (Ningxia) International Wine Culture and Tourism Expo, is being held from June 9 to 11, inviting world-renowned reputable wineries, experts and officials to the Ningxia Hui autonomous region.

The Helan Mountain East Region in Ningxia is widely recognized as one of the world's prime locations for growing wine grapes and producing high-end wine. (Photo/Gaowei Zhang)

Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region has emerged as the country's largest wine-producing region after more than 40 years of development. It now has 228 wineries that produced 138 million bottles of wine in 2022, generating a brand value of over 30 billion yuan (about 4.27 billion U.S. dollars). 

It is expected that in 2023, Ningxia will add 27million square meters of wine grape planting area, and the transformation of low-quality and low-efficiency vineyards will also reach 27million square meters, with the production of 150 million bottles, winery tourists of more than 2 million, and a comprehensive output value of 40 billion yuan.