A season of harvest

Once a mainly agricultural country, China has a rich history of farming culture. The inaugural Chinese Farmers' Harvest Festival on Sept 23 this year will become a vivid cultural symbol demonstrating the long history and significance of Chinese farming culture. It promotes the fusion of traditional culture and modern civilization, and boosts Chinese people's confidence in their own culture and sense of national pride.

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council, China's Cabinet, have set up the Harvest Festival at the critical period of the national poverty alleviation program, the decisive stage of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and the first year of implementing the strategy for rejuvenating the countryside.

The festival was launched to highlight the significance of work related to agriculture, rural areas and farmers, and to improve farmers' sense of success, happiness and pride. It advances and enriches Chinese farming culture and traditions, and gives a boost to the implementation of the countryside rejuvenation strategy.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of reform and opening-up, which began in rural areas. Thereafter, Chinese rural areas have undergone profound changes and made historical achievements. Farmers have enjoyed successive years of bumper harvests, with a grain production capacity above 600 billion kilograms for five years in a row and a per capita annual disposable income of 13,432 yuan ($1,955).

A farmer harvests leek flowers in the town of Jiazhai in Liaocheng, Shandong province on Sept 5. With about 4 hectares of leeks to harvest, the farmers there work hard picking and selling their crops. Zhao Yuguo / Xinhua

Left: Herdswomen harvest pasture in Lulang town in Linzhi, the Tibet autonomous region on Aug 26. With the harvest concluding recently, local herdspeople collect the pasture to prepare food for their livestock in the winter. Zhang Rufeng / Xinhua. Right: A farmer in the town of Matou in Tancheng county, Shandong province weathers spring corn on Aug 30. Called the granary of south Shandong, Tancheng county hosts more than 6,600 hectares of spring corn. Pand Dehua / For China Daily

Two farmers transfer lotus roots in Duntou town in Haian, Jiangsu province on Sept 12. In early autumn, farmers in Duntou harvest nearly 66 hectares of shallow water lotus roots. Xiang Zhonglin / For China Daily

Farmers in Xipo village in Zibo, Shandong province air corn on Sept 10. In this season of harvest, the countryside is bustling with activity. Zhao Dongshan / Xinhua

(China Daily 09/22/2018 page7)