On the evening of October 26, 2023, the grand award ceremony for the 2024 China Farmers’ Harvest Festival Village Song Competition took place in Laiyang, Shandong Province, along with a cultural performance celebrating the local pear season. A total of 13 village song teams from 13 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities across the country received awards.
Since its launch on September 1, 2023, the competition has seen enthusiastic participation from villages in five major regions of China. After a rigorous selection process involving recommendations, material reviews, expert evaluations, and online voting, 13 songs made it to the finals.
The top prize was awarded to “The High-Speed Train Comes to My Hometown” from Dazhao Village, Puge County, Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan, and “Come Quickly” from Gedongzhai Village, Yang’asha Street in Ji’an County, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture in Guizhou. Additionally, village songs from Shandong, Anhui, Shaanxi, Yunnan, and Guangdong claimed second place, while songs from Hunan, Hebei, Chongqing, Inner Mongolia, Zhejiang, and Hubei took home third place awards.
Moreover, eight organizations, including the Laiyang Cultural and Tourism Bureau, the Guangzhou Zengcheng District Committee Publicity Department, and the Chengdu Railway Bureau Group Office for Rural Revitalization, received Excellent Organization Awards. Six lyricists and composers were honored with Excellence in Lyrics and Composition Awards, and the Laiyang Musicians Association received a Special Contribution Award.
Song Anyang, the Deputy Director of the Market and Informationization Department at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, expressed, “Village songs are rooted in the villages, originate from the countryside, and resonate with the villagers. The purpose of hosting the Harvest Festival Village Song Competition is to highlight the theme of harvest, the uplifting spirit of farmers, and the harmonious symphony of rural life.” He emphasized that the emergence of outstanding village songs encourages more people to strive for agricultural success and rural revitalization.
According to Yu Yongde, a first-level inspector at the Shandong Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the province has organized a variety of colorful rural cultural and sports activities in recent years, significantly enhancing the sense of gain and happiness among farmers. He noted that the village song competition has played a positive role in showcasing the achievements of agricultural and rural development.
In recent years, events like “Village Evening,” “Village Super,” “Village Basketball,” and “Village Songs” have gained popularity, turning fields and village squares into vibrant stages that provide ample space for cultural displays.
The 2024 China Farmers’ Harvest Festival Village Song Competition is one of the key events for this year’s festival, guided by the China Farmers’ Harvest Festival Organizing Committee, co-sponsored by the China Rural Magazine and the Shandong Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, and hosted by the Laiyang Municipal Government.
