国内英语资讯:China Focus: Chinese farmers greet first harvest festival_时事

国内英语资讯:China Focus: Chinese farmers greet first harvest festival

BEIJING, Sept. 23 -- China celebrated its first ever national harvest festival across the country on Sunday, also the day of the Autumnal Equinox.

Autumnal Equinox is one of the 24 solar terms of the Chinese lunar calendar and usually falls between Sept. 22 and 24, during the country's harvest season. It was designated a special day for farmers to celebrate the harvest earlier this year.

In Xiaogang Village, Fengyang County in east China's Anhui Province, people gathered to examine the quality of a variety of rice on the eve of the festival.

Only 40 years ago, local villagers could barely feed themselves before they boldly pioneered reforms that were later promoted nationwide, mainly a household-responsibility system that links remuneration to output.

This year, China's agricultural conglomerate Beidahuang Group based in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province set up a modern rice plantation in Xiaogang Village.

"We will develop a one-stop supply and marketing mechanism with Xiaogang as a brand of modern agriculture," said Li Jinzhu, first secretary of Xiaogang Village Party committee.

Farmers across China celebrate the harvest festival with activities ranging from skill contests, products exhibitions to parties and carnivals.

In Deqing County of east China's Zhejiang Province, 11 teams of farmers participated in a series of farming skill competitions.

In Hulin, a small city in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, farmers attended a grand outdoor party to celebrate the festival. They sang, danced and joined games such as tug of war in the urban square.