Chinese farmers celebrate seventh harvest festival with festive events

Farmers across China are holding vibrant festivities to celebrate the seventh Chinese Farmers' Harvest Festival which falls on Sunday, showcasing the rich agricultural achievements of different regions.

The harvest festival's main event of east China's Shandong Province kicked off on Friday in the coastal city of Weihai, with the lively "Haidai Harvest Song"-- a melodic ode to the area's rich maritime heritage.

Delegations from 16 cities in Shandong took the stage, showcasing their local agricultural specialties and performing traditional village songs and floats.

The event also featured a farmers' market, an agricultural carnival, and exhibitions on smart farming equipment and the achievements in rural revitalization, providing a comprehensive look at Shandong's agricultural prowess.

Similarly, the Jiangsu provincial event in Zhenjiang City started on Thursday, featuring a bustling farmers' fair with a dazzling array of local produce, from grapes and pastries to flowers and farm-fresh eggs, with exhibitors eagerly introducing their products to the delighted crowds to promote local agricultural goods.

"I saw so many unique agricultural products in this farmers' fair. They are fascinating, and the flavors are delicious!" said local resident Yu Xueying with excitement.

In Heshan City, south China's Guangdong Province, a traditional fire dragon dance, a century-old traditional event inscribed in the Third National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage, kicked off the celebration on Friday in Chenshan Village.

A 100-meter-long "fire dragon", accompanied by dragon balls and fish lanterns, winded through the village streets, creating a spectacular display. The sounds of firecrackers filled the air, adding to the festive atmosphere.

Each year, around the autumn equinox, the village hosts a grand fire dragon dance involving over 100 young participants, with villagers of all ages joining in to pray for favorable weather and abundant harvests.

In Lanzhou, capital city of northwest China's Gansu Province, farmers participated in a lively sports competition on Friday, engaging in basketball, tug-of-war, and group dance, all while sharing the joy of a good harvest.

"Joining in this event, we're able to celebrate the bountiful harvest together. May our people continue to reap abundant harvests year after year," said local farmer Yang Shengjun.

Chinese farmers celebrate seventh harvest festival with festive events

Chinese farmers celebrate seventh harvest festival with festive events

Chinese farmers celebrate seventh harvest festival with festive events

Chinese farmers celebrate seventh harvest festival with festive events

Police in Shenzhen City of south China's Guangdong Province have deployed 24-hour drone patrols around the Shenzhen Sports Center to enhance public safety control during the 2026 Chinese Super League season.

The Shenzhen Xinpengcheng Football Club has officially made the Shenzhen Sports Center its home ground for the 2026 Chinese Super League season. Football matches have attracted more than 10,000 fans per match, leading to intense crowd density and severe traffic congestion, which places immense pressure on security.

Amid the excitement of tens of thousands, the calmest "guards" aren't in the stands, but stationed over 100 meters above, in the sky.

Before a match began, police officer Wang Yiyuan and two teammates would be already deployed with well-defined roles: one would pilot the drones, another would keep an eye on the spectrogram to monitor the drone activity, and the third would coordinate with other ground police via his walkie-talkie.

Just before the end of the second half, a sudden alert for crowd flow popped up at the south square, where a large number of spectators had begun to gather as they leave the site. As this area served as the only passage for leaving the stadium, the crowd pressure could easily lead to a stampede.

From the initial alert to the loudspeaker broadcast and then to the arrival of police reenforcements on the scene, it took Wang and his colleagues just three minutes to complete the communication, and the crowds began to disperse.

Police deploy 24-hour drone patrols during football matches in south China's Shenzhen

Police deploy 24-hour drone patrols during football matches in south China's Shenzhen