Contest gives expats a taste of farm life

Expats from three countries experienced traditional Chinese agricultural life in Ningxiang county, Hunan province, on Saturday as they took part in a contest of skills to harvest rice using traditional methods.

Twenty expats from Russia, South Africa and Pakistan were part of the competition, which challenged participants on the harvesting of rice, including the use of sickles to reap the crop, the use of threshing machines to husk the rice and shoulder poles to carry it.

They were also required to chop firewood using knives and to transport produce using wheelbarrows.