The golden autumn days come with gleaming sunshine and cool breezes. On September 23, China ushered in her second Farmers’ Harvest Festival. At the invitation of the government of Lingbao city in Henan province, Professor He Huili and the delegation went there to participate in the "2019 Chinese Farmers’ Harvest Festival & Celebrations for the Lingbao Apple Picking Season" with the theme of "Sharing Fragrance with the Republic". Fabiano Escher, COHD’s visiting scholar and associate professor in the Department of Sociology at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in Brasil, together with 4 COHD’s foreign PhD candidates and postgraduates majoring in Development Studies and Rural Development & Management, participated in this field trip.
On the evening of September 22, accompanied by the local leaders, teachers and students watched the premiere of the mega original modern Pu opera named "Li Gongsheng." They got to know the impressive story that Li Gongsheng, the industrialist from the late Qing Dynasty at Lingbao, who had been influenced by Sun Yat-sen’s Three People’s Principles, devoted himself to revitalizing the local economy and enriching the people by introducing the apple industry to Lingbao. On the morning of 23rd, the delegation attended the opening ceremony with the theme of "Harvest in the Central Plains, Hometown Henan, 2019 Chinese Farmers’ Harvest Festival & Celebrations for the Lingbao Apple Picking Season", where they were courteously welcomed by the Party Secretary Sun Shufang, Executive Vice Mayor Xu Hongmei and other municipal leaders. Then, under the arrangement of the local government, the teachers and students went to Panlong Village of Wumu Township to experience apple picking and carried on the investigation of modern orchard management technology. They also paid a visit to the Luojia Village of Luojia Town to visit Hongnong Academy and the development status of eco-cooperatives featuring the technology of "Ecologic Orchard" and "Fermentation bed breeding". Furthermore, they visited Hanguguan town to feel the majestic scenery and profound culture there, and discover Lihuawan village’s experience in terms of rural construction based on its cultural and creative tourism featuring the "Cat Culture".
The field trip witnessed the friendly interactions between China and foreign countries. The inquisitive and friendly attitude of the international scholar and students left a deep impression on the local cadres and masses, and they provided a lot of experience served as reference to the local from the international point of view. At the same time, the trip to Lingbao in Henan also made them feel that it was worthwhile and full of harvest, from which they learned about the farmers' harvest festival with strong local characteristics and experienced the culture, economy, and society along the Yellow River.
