
YINCHUAN, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- The association of the blind in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, where the wine industry has become an important pillar, has been training the visually handicapped as wine connoisseurs to equip them with special expertise.
Gently swirling wine in their glasses, several blind people at the Ningxia Rehabilitation Center for the Disabled, under the guidance of their trainer from a vineyard, tasted a rose wine and tried to describe its floral, complex aroma.
The visually impaired participants of the training program are required to undergo olfactory and taste assessments first.
"Seeing, smelling and sipping the wine are three major steps in wine tasting. Although blind people can't see, they have greater concentration in the last two steps," said He Yangyang, the trainer and sales manager of Ningxia Yangyang International Vineyard.
Yang Jingyu, deputy head of the association, said as most blind people choose to find work in the massage industry since they have few job options, the training program is expected to provide them with new job opportunities, especially for those with keen senses of smell and taste.
Ningxia currently has 32,800 hectares of grape plantations, with wineries generating an annual output of 130 million bottles of wine. The comprehensive industrial output value for 2019 came in at about 26.1 billion yuan (about 3.9 billion U.S. dollars).
Fire brigade in Shanghai holds group wedding
Tourists enjoy ice sculptures in Datan Town, north China
Sunset scenery of Dayan Pagoda in Xi'an
Tourists have fun at scenic spot in Nanlong Town, NW China
Harbin attracts tourists by making best use of ice in winter
In pics: FIS Alpine Ski Women's World Cup Slalom
Black-necked cranes rest at reservoir in Lhunzhub County, Lhasa
China's FAST telescope will be available to foreign scientists in April
"She power" plays indispensable role in poverty alleviation
Top 10 world news events of People's Daily in 2020
Top 10 China news events of People's Daily in 2020
Top 10 media buzzwords of 2020
Year-ender:10 major tourism stories of 2020
No interference in Venezuelan issues
Biz prepares for trade spat
Broadcasting Continent
Australia wins Chinese CEOs as US loses