A farmer shows the newly harvested Yangtze River hairy crabs on Saturday.

Locally produced hairy crabs will hit the market soon, competing with those from neighboring provinces, and highlighting the city's rural revitalization campaign.

Harvesting began on Saturday of the Yangtze River hairy crabs in Luojing Town of north Baoshan District as part of the 2022 Farmers' Harvest Festival of China.

Luojing crabs are known for their size, long legs, tighter meat and rich roe as well as a slight, naturally sweet flavor. They grow within the city's tap water source conservation area at the mouth of the Yangtze.

The crabs spawn there every October, and villagers catch the biggest baby crabs and raise them in ponds and rice fields. It takes two years, twice as long as for other hairy crabs, for them to grow to full size. Yangtze River crabs are fed with fresh snails, algae, corn, fish and beans.

The Yangtze River hairy crab from Baoshan has won a gold medal in a national hairy competition for 10 consecutive years to become a highlight of Shanghai characteristic agricultural industry.

Jiang Xiaowei / SHINE

The locally produced hairy crabs have longer legs and bigger sizes than those from neighboring provinces.

The biggest male crab in the first harvest on Saturday weighed 515 grams, compared with 480 grams last year, while the "queen crab" weighed 500 grams, compared with 360 grams in 2021.

The crab bonanza is part of Baoshan's efforts to develop tourism in rural areas to attract gourmands from downtown and outside Shanghai.

A rural health and seniors' care industry zone, covering 12.92 square kilometers in Baoshan's countryside, has been unveiled to become a pilot project for Shanghai's rural revitalization campaign.

A digital management platform has been developed to include the farmers' houses and other rural resources for investment promotion and tourism project operation to increase the incomes and employment rate among the villagers, according to the township government.

Villages in Luojing are among the richest in Shanghai. Tangwan Village has been listed as one of the city's first group of demonstration villages to implement the central government's rural revitalization plan.

Jiang Xiaowei / SHINE

Tourists take part in a rural contest in Luojing Town on Saturday.

It is followed by four neighboring villages – Haixing, Huahong, Xinlu and Yangqiao – to become an agricultural demonstration zone. Each village has a characteristic product, such as the hairy crab, rice and taro.

Tangwan Village is creating China's first "maternal and infant manor" to take care of new mothers during their month-long "confinement period." Villagers are being encouraged to convert their spare space into the confinement, or yuezi, centers.

Other villages have opened agricultural education centers as extra-curriculum activities for local primary and secondary school students.

More than 10 companies focused on culture innovation, scientific research and outdoor training are based in the villages. The culture and tourism projects are expected to attract 500,000 tourists every year with annual revenue of five million yuan (US$689,500). More than 100 villagers will be hired for the projects.

Jiang Xiaowei / SHINE

Tourists take part in a rural contest in Luojing Town on Saturday.