Folk festival unfolds in rural Hunan

A rice seedling transplantation competition is held during the sixth Farming Folk Culture Festival held on Sunday in Paidang village of Maogou township in Baojing county of Xiangxi Tujia and Miao autonomous prefecture, Hunan province. [Photo by Long Enze/For chinadaily.com.cn]

The sixth Farming Folk Culture Festival kicked off on Sunday in Paidang village of Maogou township in Baojing county of Xiangxi Tujia and Miao autonomous prefecture, Hunan province, attracting lots of nearby residents and tourists.

Following the tradition of "opening seedlings' gate", local people carried out a series of folk activities and fun sports, such as transplanting rice seedlings, drinking, tug-of-war and catching fish in a paddy field.

As one of the characteristic farming cultural activities in Maogou, the event aims to show farming culture, folk customs and rural beauty as well as to pray for good weather and an abundant harvest.