On September 23, the 2026 Chinese Farmers' Harvest Festival's main Sichuan celebration unfolded in Miaoshan Village, Lezhi County, Ziyang. More than a traditional autumn celebration, the event served as a comprehensive showcase of the province's evolving agricultural capabilities—featuring automated machinery working the fields, robots patrolling farmland, and live-stream hosts selling local products. Time-honored rural craftsmanship shared the stage with cutting-edge agricultural technology side by side.
During the opening ceremony, humanoid robots performed alongside singers and dancers on the main stage, drawing an enthusiastic response from the packed audience. The first question addressed was: How do we farm? The answer came through technological innovation. The agricultural machinery demonstration zone displayed 40 advanced machines tailored for hilly terrain, including autonomous high-speed rice transplanters, self-propelled corn harvesters, and crop-dusting drones actively working the fields. Tasks once performed exclusively by manual labor—from plowing to harvesting—are increasingly delegated to machines. Given the fragmented plots and complex road conditions characteristic of Sichuan's rolling countryside, a range of compact, agile equipment also captured significant attention from attendees.
The second question, How do we manage farmland?, highlighted the role of smart agriculture. The smart farming exhibition area presented 27 innovations from across the province and beyond, ranging from the "Tiangong Kaiwu" agricultural intelligence platform to coordinated ground-and-air crop inspection robot systems. The entire agricultural process—sensing, decision-making, and operations—is being integrated into intelligent frameworks.
After the harvest, the focus shifted to ensuring strong sales. The venue featured the "Tianfu Granary" autumn consumption season and an e-commerce live-streaming zone. Specialty products from all 21 cities and prefectures were displayed, while local village representatives entered live-streaming booths to promote Sichuan's signature agricultural brands. In a separate section, 22 intangible cultural heritage crafts showcased their artistry through painting, weaving, decoration, cutting, and tasting—bringing rural memories directly into the harvest festivities.
The main stage delivered a rich program of celebratory song and dance performances, including dragon dance troupes preparing for their entrance. Visitors at the heritage exhibition savored local delicacies and browsed photography displays capturing harvest themes, while artisans demonstrated traditional techniques like making Anyue rice rolls. The main audience area was completely filled, with numerous villagers gathering outside to watch the performances.
From automated machinery tilling the soil to smart systems managing crops and live-streaming driving commerce, this year's Sichuan Harvest Festival showcased far more than the season's yields. It painted a vivid picture of the province's agricultural transformation in progress.