In China, the Farmers' Harvest Festival is celebrated around the autumn equinox — a time to celebrate the people who work the land and the harvest they bring in.

This year, the autumn equinox falls on September 23, with the main celebration taking place in Zaoyang, central China's Hubei Province.

At the heart of the festival is the changing face of agriculture. From autonomous machinery working the fields to new crop varieties and smart farming technologies, innovation is helping farmers improve yields, boost efficiency and develop crops that are more resilient.

Robotic machines pick fruit in an orchard in Zaoyang. The city is one of the major peach-producing areas in China, with more than 20,000 hectares of peach orchards.

Guided by the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, two autonomous harvesters collect rice in the fields.

A new corn variety called "High-Protein Corn," developed by Huazhong Agricultural University, has delivered its first bountiful harvest.