Guizhou village holds harvest festival to boost rural tourism

On September 12, Guojiawan Village in Yuping Dong Autonomous County, southwest China's Guizhou Province, hosted its ninth annual rice harvest opening ceremony. The event serves as a key local celebration in the run-up to the 2026 Chinese Farmers' Harvest Festival on September 23. With a 300-year legacy of growing high-quality "tribute" rice, the village's expansive terraced fields have entered their prime harvest period.

Local officials and farmers launched the occasion together, harvesting the first batch of golden rice ears in a traditional opening ritual. The festive day featured a range of lively interactive activities, including rice-cutting contests, hand threshing grain, and catching fish in the flooded paddies. Many tourists brought their families to experience authentic rural farming life hands-on.

Visitors also enjoyed distinctive local cuisine at outdoor long-table banquets on the ridges of the paddy fields. The celebration continued into the evening with vibrant bonfire parties, where guests joined in with the songs and dance to experience the rich folk culture of the Dong ethnic group.

The event also featured a specialty market showcasing and selling local delicacies, including tribute rice, camellia oil, and handcrafted products from the Dong ethnic group. Live-stream broadcasts from the fields have helped to broaden the online sales channels for these distinctive mountain agricultural products and reach a wider domestic and international market.