As autumn nears, festivals boost rural tourism

Shanghai's countryside is entering the most enchanting season of the year.

With the fragrance of rice enveloping the cottage and the golden rice fields stretching out like a boundless golden carpet, the autumn breeze gently stirs the rice leaves.

The Liantang Ancient Town stands quietly on the outskirts of Shanghai. With a history of more than 1,100 years, it has preserved a large number of ancient buildings in Ming (1368-1644) and Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) styles, along with ancient bridges and intangible cultural heritages such as water bamboo shoot leaf plaiting and hand-woven cloth dyeing.

The town features white walls with dark tiles, clear water surrounding the village, vast rice fields, and bears memories of generations. More than 20,000 mu of shelter forests are lush and green, and the clear water of the Taipu River flows gently.

"Walking in the forest in summer, you can see egrets flying over the treetops and fireflies dancing around your knees as if you have stepped into a fairytale world," said Zhang Huanfeng, Liantang Town's City Promoter.

The 2025 Shanghai Liantang Water Bamboo Festival and Ancient Town Cultural Tourism Festival, part of the China Farmers' Harvest Festival series, will take place from September 27 to October 3 in Dongshe, Dongzhuang, Xulian, and Taibei villages. Tourists can pick water bamboo, enjoy agricultural work, visit cultural and creative markets, weave water bamboo leaves and pizza, and participate in water town ecological activities.

From September 28 to October 7, Dongshe Village will host an art festival with immersive ancient-style dramas, music, pet carnivals, long-table banquets, and rural artist competitions.

Camping, barbecuing, crab catching, and agricultural experience activities like digging lotus roots, water bamboos, sweet potatoes, and water chestnuts in Xulian and Taibei villages are part of the Rural Fun Season, which runs through September.

Holiday activities include rice cake making, the "Impression of Dongzhuang" Oil Painting Exhibition, pet competitions, pumpkin bowling, and rural sports games.

In town, old farmhouses have become high-end homestays with cafes and restaurants.

The culture and innovation industry park Art-M was renovated from factories. Intangible cultural heritage workshops like hand-woven cloth dyeing and water bamboo leaf weaving in the park preserve traditional crafts and create new ones.

The 1,000-square-meter Huafu Art Center holds an average of 12 exhibitions annually, turning an "old factory" into a "cultural exhibition hall."