Autumn Harvest Drying in Huangling

Huangling in Wuyuan County, in east China's Jiangxi Province, is a small picturesque village built on the hillside, surrounded by spectacular terraced rapeseed blossom fields. The village dates back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)—its long history visible in its Hui-style houses, featuring black roof tiles and white walls. Huangling’s wonderous landscape captivates tourists from all over China and beyond, but it wasn’t always like that. Less than twenty years ago, Huangling was dilapidated and falling into ruins. Then in 2009, the local government began to develop tourism in the village and transformed it into a resort. Old farm houses were renovated into shops, restaurants and hotels. Locals were encouraged to showcase traditional culture and folk customs to lure crowds. One of these is shaiqiu, where autumn crops such as corn, chili peppers, pumpkin, and chrysanthemum flower are dried to be stored over the winter. This tradition has now become the highlight of this ancient village. Corn and pepper are dried on large bamboo plates on rooftop. Photo: Elizaveta Kirina/Shutterstock.com Photo: Achim Höfling/Flickr Photo: CK NG/Flickr Photo: CK NG/Flickr Photo: CK NG/Flickr Photo: Marco Belluto/Flickr Photo: Pieter Vandenberghe/Flickr Photo: yuan li/Flickr Photo: Elfred Tseng/Shutterstock.com Photo: Elizaveta Kirina/Shutterstock.com