Yunnan's rice fields become stages for culture and discovery

In a sea of rice paddies in Yingjiang county, Southwest China's Yunnan province, harvest season comes with music, dancing and a bowl of green rice.

Dai ethnic performers sway to the rhythm of elephant-foot drums as visitors wander among the fields during the fourth Haomao Rice Farming Culture Festival, held in Nongzhang township in late August.

Haomao, a traditional Dai food whose name means "green grain rice", is made from young rice harvested before the grains fully mature. Once a seasonal local dish, it is now becoming a symbol of Yingjiang's efforts to bring new value to its rice-growing traditions.

At a Haomao-making competition during the festival, the winning entry started at 60 yuan ($8.40) and eventually sold for 1,000 yuan at auction.

The price stood in stark contrast to that of ordinary raw grain.

"People used to sell rice for around 0.9 yuan per kilogram. We never imagined it could generate such added value," a local organizer said.

Sales of Haomao-related products approached 100,000 yuan during this year's festival, according to local figures.