On May 29, the Halo Garden at the foot of the Ming City Wall along the Qinhuai River officially opened, and on its first day, Nanjing launched its inaugural “WA! Potato Festival” ahead of International Potato Day (May 30). The free event, running through May 31, brings together over 40 vendors from nearly 20 cities around the world, offering more than 100 types of potato-based snacks and creative dishes. Highlights include Shanghai-style beef and cheese potato patties, Guizhou sour soup potato crunch balls, Kunming fennel potatoes, Seoul potato gelato, and Bangkok extra-long french fries. Organizers say the festival aims to use the humble potato as a medium to encourage citizens to engage with public spaces.
In addition to the wide array of international potato delicacies, the festival features interactive activities such as “potato blind box” seed adoption, a charitable farming awareness checkpoint, and a “golden potato digging” contest, with participants earning small prizes. On its opening day, the event attracted large crowds, particularly among young people. The festival runs until May 31 and is free to the public.
