The 2019 China Qidong Fishing and Farmers’ Harvest Festival opens in Lyusi town in Qidong on Sept 23. [Photo/WeChat account of Qidong]

The 2019 China Qidong Fishing and Farmers’ Harvest Festival opened in Lyusi town, Qidong, on the Autumnal Equinox - - the 16th of the 24 solar terms of the Chinese lunar calendar, which fell on Sept 23 this year.

The festival, launched in 2018, was a national event. It is being celebrated every year on the Autumnal Equinox. 

A gathering of dignitaries, as well as more than 1,500 representatives from all walks of life in Qidong, attended the opening ceremony to celebrate the festival. 

Wang Xiaobin, Party secretary of Qidong, delivered a speech in which he thanked all for supporting Qidong’s agricultural growth. 

He said that Qidong has long been renowned for its maritime economy and diverse maritime resources. 

Qidong would  make all-out efforts to modernize the agricultural industry and strengthen the fishing industry, Wang said. 

Zhang Xueping, deputy inspector of the Jiangsu Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, announced the opening of the event and wished success for the festival.

At the opening ceremony, several local farmers and fishermen showed off their agricultural products. 

Before the opening ceremony, dignitaries visited an agricultural products exhibition and an exhibition themed on tourism.

Performers dance at the opening ceremony for the 2019 China Qidong Fishing and Farmers’ Harvest Festival. [Photo/WeChat account of Qidong Daily]

An aerial view of Lyusi port in Qidong, a county-level city in Nantong, East China’s Jiangsu province [Photo/WeChat account of Qidong Daily]

A fishing trawler sets off from the coast of Qidong. [Photo/WeChat account of Qidong Daily]