Meng Jianchao, a villager in his 60s, says the autumn harvest, which started in mid-October in previous years, has been brought forward by a full month compared with last year.

"Although everyone will be busy for quite a while, we will never get tired of it. The crayfish in the rice fields reach maturity around autumn equinox, so we need to hurry up with the fishing," Meng says.

The continuous paddy fields at the foot of the Qinling Mountains were historically the main production area of sweet-scented "osmanthus rice" with grains that are translucent like beads.

Meng says in the process of rural revitalization, with the strong support of the district government and the careful guidance of agricultural experts, the villagers made use of the original ponds and the 72 valleys in the Qinling Mountains. They renovated the rice field canal system and introduced crayfish farming.