Harvest festival marked in Sichuan

Farmers in different parts of Sichuan province have felt a festive air recently, as the country's first Farmers' Harvest Festival was held on Sunday and many celebrations have been held in the province since Thursday.

In Dujiangyan, a city under the administration of provincial capital Chengdu, a kiwi fruit picking festival was held from Thursday to Sunday.

In Deyang, about one hour's drive from Chengdu, an exhibition showcasing the achievements of the city's agriculture sector over the past four decades since the country adopted the reform and opening-up policies was held in the same period.

In Guangyuan, a city bordering Shaanxi province, visitors saw farmers competing to be the first to harvest more rice, catching fish in paddy fields and grinding beans by hand to make tofu on Friday.

Activities in Guangyuan will last through early October according to Guo Huaili, an official with the Sichuan provincial department of agriculture.

In the Liangshan Yi autonomous prefecture, which is the largest habitat of ethnic Yi people in the country, visitors can experience the lifestyle of farmers by picking pomegranates and digging potatoes in the fields themselves from late September to November, Guo said.