In an ancient village in central China's Hubei Province, residents are blending time-honored harvest customs with cultural tourism to share the charm of rural China with visitors from around the world.

As autumn arrives, Dayuwan Village is bursting with the season's bounty. Red chilies, golden corn and pumpkins dry in bamboo trays across the streets, courtyards and rooftops, several inscribed with blessings for good weather and a full harvest. Locals call it "shai qiu" - drying the autumn, a custom that has turned from an everyday chore into a festive display, one that now attracts international visitors.

Among those drawn to the village are Azaliia and her friends, for whom the tour offers a window into how people live in another country.

"We want to explore Chinese culture because it's so exciting for us to see how people from other countries live, and their history," she said.

The natural surroundings also caught the attention of her friend Ekaterina.

"Also we have never been to the countryside before in China, and it's very nice to see the nature here and to see how people do these activities in the countryside," she said.

The village is encouraging visitors to do more than watch. To boost rural tourism, Dayuwan has opened its fields to guests, who can work alongside local farmers and try their own hand at the harvest.

For Azaliia, the trip offered the chance to experience the China beyond the guidebooks.

"We are so happy that we have this opportunity to visit and see with our eyes the real China," she said.

By turning its 650-year-old farming traditions into a draw for rural tourism, Dayuwan shows how a village rooted in the rhythms of the seasons keeps its heritage alive.