The first state-level "Chinese Farmers' Harvest Festival" is due to kick off on Sunday, the day also marks the Autumn Equinox according to the Chinese lunar calendar.
As a first of its kind, the festival aims to celebrate those engaged in the agricultural sector. In many parts of China, the celebrations sparked way ahead of the designated day. Ancient rural activities, farming related competitions along with celebratory singing and dancing performances marked the dawn of revelry in the run-up to the inaugural Chinese harvest festival.
Rituals have been the most important part of celebrations since the ancient days in China. There were various forms of rituals, performed at different times of the year, including the four seasons.
Rituals are performed at the Sanxingdui site of Guanghan City, Sichuan Province, to mark the harvest festival. /Photo via Guanghan News.
After harvesting in autumn, people usually offered various types of foods, expressing gratitude to the heaven and the earth, as well as their ancestors for the harvest, and also praying for next year's good weather and yield.
On Friday, at the site where the Sanxingdui relics were unearthed in Guanghan City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, a ritual was performed as people dressed in ancient costumes representing ancient traditional forms.
Sanxingdui is a renowned archaeological site in China especially known for discoveries dating back to the Bronze Age. The region conducts rituals as per ancient traditions every year during the Spring Festival, attracting over 20,000 spectators each year.
A huge naan was made in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to mark the harvest festival. /VCG Photo
In Kuqa County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, locals baked a giant naan, a traditional Chinese bread, which they shared with the visitors.
A campfire party was held on Friday night, with tens of thousands of people gathering at a local square, celebrating the event and enjoying dance and singing performances.
In east China's Shandong Province, one of the main agricultural provinces of the country, farmers have been busy creating "paintings and calligraphic works" using harvest crop.
The characters of "Chinese Farmers' Harvest Festival" with beans. /VCG Photo
By arranging corns, beans and even grapes, they worked out Chinese characters for "Chinese Farmers' Harvest Festival." While in other provinces, variety of competitions were held in harvesting, carrying bundles or fishing, with farmers itching to put their best skills forward.
According to Han Changfu, minister of agriculture and rural affairs, the festival reflects that government gives high priority to agricultural work and country's farmers.