Xiangjiadang, a scenic lakeside area in Jiaxing City, east China's Zhejiang 
Province, is bathing in a brilliant golden yellow color in early winter. 
Recently, a study travel activity featuring nature and farming experiences 
attracted the participation of many teachers and students in local primary and 
secondary schools.

The children, accompanied by their parents, went to the fields of Xiangjiadang 
to sketch and harvest rice. With a palette in one hand and a paintbrush in the 
other, some students, like little painters, painted the rice in front of them. 
Meanwhile, other students rolled up their sleeves and harvested the rice like 
farmers. They carefully stacked the cut rice neatly together and waited for the 
threshing. What they held in hands was not only the harvested rice, but also a 
sense of achievement.

After experiencing the charm of the rice paddies and the fun of the autumn 
harvest, the students also explored a digital factory, and visited the Red Boat 
Zongzi (a glutinous rice dumpling wrapped in bamboo leaves) plant to learn 
about the time-honored brand's development. In each of the study travel bases, 
they got to learn about the hard work of farming and farmers' fortitude through 
field trips.

"Xiangjiadang is close to the downtown area and features the integration of 
water towns, pastoral scenery and natural lake scenery in the south of the 
Yangtze River. It is wonderful to let the children feel the richness and beauty 
of our land of fish and rice in places nearby," One of the students' parents 
said after participating in the activity.

Located in the northeast of Jiaxing, Xiangjiadang enjoys a natural endowment of 
10,000 mu of nourishing farmland, 10,000 mu of water and 10,000 mu of forest. 
Since the beginning of this year, the region has paid special attention to the 
quality and popularity of the study travel courses to develop in-depth study 
tours, according to Jiaxing Xiangjiadang Regional Development and Construction 
Management Committee.

For example, the region has rolled out a farming experience course in the 
agricultural sector, including trying transplanting rice in spring and 
harvesting rice in autumn. The study travel course allows students to 
experience the whole process of farming throughout the year, enhances their 
practical ability, enriches contacts with the natural pastoral life, relaxes 
their body and mind, cultivates the good habit of cherishing food, and makes 
study travel truly an educational and entertaining second classroom.

Since the beginning of this year, Xiangjiadang has received more than 5,000 
visitors from Jiaxing Experimental Primary School, Jiaxing Xiuzhou Middle 
School, Northeast Normal University and other study travel teams. The students 
can stay close to the nature while feel the charm of technology. These 
experiences will become wonderful memories that will stay with them for years 
to come.

Source: Jiaxing Xiangjiadang Regional Development and Construction Management 
Committee

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   Caption: Students take a photo with their drawings of rice.