A performance of Cailianchuan (a traditional folk dance by imitating picking lotus by boat ) was given by folk artists on the opening ceremony of the First Village Opera, Temple Fair and Brand Agricultural Products Direct Marketing Fair in Yichang City on January 20. (Photographed by Zhang Guorong, correspondent of the Three Gorges Daily)

　　The First Village Opera, Temple Fair and Brand Agricultural Products Direct Marketing Fair in Yichang City opened in Longquan Ancient Town, Yiling District on January 20, with Yuan Weidong, Deputy Secretary of Yichang Municipal Party Committee and Executive Vice Mayor of Yichang declaring its opening.

　　The fair focuses on the theme of ancient town and temple fair sightseeing, lanterns show and village opera appreciation as well as good new year celebration. Twelve major activities will be held during the fair, including the Opening Ceremony, “A Golden Harvest” Direct Selling Fair of Famous Brand Agricultural Products, Temple Fair of Praying for Spring Festival, Village Opera of Talents Gathering, Lantern Display, self-production and self-marketing, “Endless Aftertaste” Annual Pork Banquet, New Year’s Feast of “Journey of Food Fashion”, Photography Exhibition of Beautiful Agriculture, Countryside and Farmers, Poverty Alleviation by Production and Marketing Docking and so on.

　　Gathering 68 brand farm products and the latest achievements of poverty alleviation in 40 poverty-stricken villages, this fair will deliver great benefits to the general public and tourists around through one-stop production and marketing docking. Besides, it will also promote poverty reduction by stimulating consumption and take targeted measures in line with local reality to lift poor villages out of poverty through industrial development.

　　Yichang City will hereafter take this fair as a carrier to carry out more assistance actions to help more impoverished households and villages achieve industrial income increase and get rid of poverty as soon as possible.

　　City leaders Shang Kui, Liu Hongfu and Ma Hongyan attended the opening ceremony.(Reporters: Pi Yajie, Qian Yijin)