Summer harvest on full scale in China's wheat-producing areas

Farmers in Hebei and Shanxi, both granary provinces in north China, have mobilized round-the-clock harvesting operations to safeguard summer grain yield, leveraging farm machinery and cross-department coordination.

Across southern Shanxi's key producing areas -- including land administered by cites of Yuncheng, Linfen, and Jincheng -- more than 467,000 hectares of wheat are being harvested.

In Linfen alone, 1,000 combine harvesters have been deployed across 200,000 hectares of fields.

"This year, our irrigation has achieved excellent results. The overall output is expected to increase by about 15 percent compared to previous years. The entire 1,800 mu (120 hectares) of land sees a bumper harvest," said Zhang Yongwei, head of a farm machinery cooperative.

In Ruicheng County, a wheat grower led the nighttime harvesting of 133 hectares contracted by him using drones and mobile lighting equipment.

"With these (machinery), I can harvest 2,000 mu (133.33 hectares) of wheat before rainfall. I feel much more relieved," said Hu Tianni, the wheat grower.

Hebei's wheat harvesting, spanning 2.2 million hectares, is advancing northward with machinery support all set in advance.

In Daming County, agronomists have completed yield tests across nearly 60,000 hectares of wheat fields in 20 townships and towns. Teams collected samples in five cubic-meter plots for threshing, weighing, and moisture analysis -- providing real-time data to guide harvesting.

Data from Hebei's Department of Agricultural and Rural Affairs has coordinated 2 million agricultural machinery including combine harvesters and corn seeders, with all equipment pre-serviced.

"We carried out maintenance and technical guidance on all the agricultural machinery in the county in advance, sparing no effort to ensure a bountiful summer grain harvest," said Tong Zhangping, director of Daming County Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

Meteorological, transport, and agricultural departments in Hebei are coordinating with each other to offer farmers real-time targeted support.

Summer harvest on full scale in China's wheat-producing areas

Chengdu, the capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, is experiencing a significant influx of domestic and international tourists during the five-day May Day holiday, which runs from May 1 to May 5.

To enhance visitors' experiences, local authorities have organized a series of activities, including traditional Chinese cultural performances, intangible cultural heritage markets, and virtual reality (VR) experiences. These initiatives allow tourists to appreciate the city’s historical richness and urban vitality, as well as to sample local delicacies in popular spots like the Wenshu Monastery Neighborhood.

"I’ve always wanted to visit Wenshu Monastery Neighborhood in Chengdu. Here, I watched the Sichuan opera face-changing performance and tried local snacks like San Da Pao (sweet glutinous rice balls) and Liang Fen (jelly noodles)," said Wu Ping, a domestic tourist.

Throughout the holiday, traditional Chinese cultural performances and Hanfu parade have also taken place in the neighborhood, attracting large crowds of visitors.

"There are about 30 of us today, all Hanfu enthusiasts. We can watch dance performances and join the parade," said Zhou Bin, a tourist dressed in traditional Chinese clothing.

For some international visitors, such as Assely from Kazakhstan, Chengdu's history is a major draw.

"It is more historical interest. Because I know it is going very back. It's very good interesting history in China," she said.

The century-old Citang Street is also bustling with activities during the holiday, featuring a VR experience that integrates giant panda culture with traditional Chinese Tai Chi, an ancient internal martial art. This program has become a highlight of the festivities.

"We're coming here to see China. This is our first time here. We came to Chengdu like an hour ago. We can see more technology, more Western tourists," said Nikolas Barwicki, a tourist from Poland.

Chengdu sees surge of tourists during May Day holiday