When a watermelon speaks, these experts listen closely

By looking, touching, thumping and listening, Cao Jinghua, 57, can tell how sweet and ripe a watermelon is in three seconds.

A watermelon verification expert from Likou township in Shangqiu, Henan province, Cao has become much busier lately, selecting the best quality melons in Zhongwei, Ningxia Hui autonomous region.

"With the arrival of this year's sanfu days, refreshing heat-relieving fruits, such as watermelons, have received a warm welcome," he said, adding that watermelons began to ripen in the region at the end of last month.