HAVANA, March 3 (Xinhua) -- Over 2,000 participants from 70 countries visited the 20th Habanos Cigar Festival here Friday, with the event being one of the world's largest ones on premium cigars and a fundraiser for Cuba's health system.
The annual festival also featured an auction of cigar humidor boxes for 1.829 million U.S. dollars, which will fund the country's public health system.
At a gala dinner and auction to wrap up the five-day event, the participants bid on the cigar boxes, which are considered collectors' items. Many of the boxes had a large amount of premium cigars in them.
During the event, cigar aficionados had the opportunity to see and taste novelties in the Cuban tobacco industry.
One of the humidors was bought by Alex Wong from Hong Kong for 307,925 dollars. Wong is a cigar lover who not only will take home a piece of art, but also an exclusive line of Cuban habanos made especially for the occasion.
"It's very exciting for me, this humidor is a beautiful piece of art. Not only do I have the honor to bring it home, but the money is for a really good cause," Wong told Xinhua minutes after purchasing the piece.
As part of the week-long event, participants also visited tobacco plantations and historical cigar factories.
Currently the main clients of Cuban cigars are customers in Spain, France, and China.