As the first autumn breeze sweeps across the hills, chestnuts at Tianmeng Mountain, Linyi, Shandong, are ready for harvest. The 2026 Tianmeng Mountain chestnut festival opened on Sept 1 and will run until Sept 27, inviting visitors to enjoy some hands-on autumn fun.

The festival offers tourists the chance to collect chestnuts with special tools in designated picking zones. After filling one bucket of chestnuts with burr husks, visitors can choose to exchange for cooked or raw chestnut vouchers or take the whole bucket home by bringing their own bags.

At the on-site supermarket, freshly stir-fried chestnuts are sold hot, with hundreds of pounds of golden roasted chestnuts filling the air with a sweet aroma.

The festival also features autumn-limited chestnut-themed dishes at local restaurants, including chestnut stewed chicken, chestnut congee, and braised pork with chestnuts. Local mountain products such as Tianmeng sweet chestnuts are available for purchase.

The festival integrates agricultural harvest experiences, mountain tourism, and local catering, enriching autumn travel products in Linyi and helping boost income for local farmers.

Visitors collect chestnuts at Tianmeng Mountain's designated picking zones during this year's chestnut festival. [Photo/Langya News]

Freshly stir-fried chestnuts are sold hot at the on-site supermarket, filling the air with a sweet aroma. [Photo/Langya News]

The event features autumn-limited chestnut-themed dishes, including chestnut stewed chicken and chestnut congee. [Photo/Langya News]