As autumn arrives, rice fields in northeast China turn into vast seas of gold, while corn cobs glow amber under the sun across the North China Plain. Orchards on the Loess Plateau in northwest China are also dotted with red apples.
The harvest reflects a year of hard work by millions of farmers across the country and the agricultural gains recorded during the year.
A Festival for Farmers
The autumnal equinox this year marks the ninth Chinese Farmers’ Harvest Festival, a national celebration established in 2018 and held annually around the same time to honour farmers and celebrate the harvest.
China is home to hundreds of millions of farmers whose work contributes to the supply of grain, vegetables, fruits and other agricultural products for the population.
The Harvest Festival serves as a tribute to their labour, recognising the contribution of farmers and highlighting their role in the country’s agricultural development.
CHINA’S AGRICULTURAL GAINS
Behind the annual celebrations is the continued development of China’s agricultural sector.
Three autonomous combine harvesters operated during a harvest ceremony in Harbin, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, on September 23, 2026.
China’s grain output reached 714.88 million tonnes in 2025, remaining above the 700-million-tonne mark for the second consecutive year.
Summer grain output this year reached a record 150.75 million tonnes, equivalent to 301.49 billion jin, exceeding 300 billion jin for the first time. Early rice output has also remained above 56 billion jin for six consecutive years.
Meanwhile, the per capita disposable income of rural residents rose by 5.5 percent in real terms during the first half of this year to 12,699 yuan, approximately US$1,893.
China’s annual grain output of more than 700 million tonnes translates into per capita grain availability of more than 500 kilograms, above the internationally recognised food-security benchmark of 400 kilograms.
The record summer grain harvest provided a strong start to the 15th Five-Year Plan period, covering 2026 to 2030, and highlighted the country’s continued efforts to secure grain supplies while improving agricultural production.
HARVEST CELEBRATIONS ACROSS CHINA
This year’s festival features a nationwide main event in Xiangyang, central China’s Hubei Province, alongside 46 other major activities covering agricultural science and technology, legal services, medical care, sports and culture, among other areas, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.
The activities are intended to respond to farmers’ needs in production and daily life, showcase the harvest, highlight the role of farmers, promote traditional farming culture and encourage the consumption of agricultural products.
At the harvest fair in Dongjiao Village on the outskirts of Xiangyang, local specialties are taking centre stage.
Visitors can sample Xiangyang’s signature “Eight Bowls” feast, Qianjiang crayfish and Macheng’s traditional hanging-pot banquet while experiencing the local culture and products associated with the harvest.
Beyond the food, one of Dongjiao Village’s most notable stories is preserved in 43 old account books kept in the village reception hall.
According to Hu Aiguo, the village Party secretary, the village collective was once more than 90,000 yuan in debt. For five decades, village officials recorded every item of income and expenditure, including travel expenses worth only a few cents.
The practice of maintaining open and transparent financial records helped build trust between village officials and residents.
With that trust as a foundation, villagers and officials worked together to improve the village’s economic situation through peach contract farming, aquaculture and rural tourism.
As a result, per capita income increased from less than 80 yuan decades ago to more than 30,000 yuan in 2025.
The 43 old account books therefore document more than financial transactions. They chronicle a decades-long journey of trust, collective effort and rural revitalisation.