Mutton is a famous delicacy in Haimen district, Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province. [Photo/WeChat account: haimenrongmei] 

Haimen district in Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province held a Fuyang Festival ("伏羊节" in Chinese) on July 11.

A series of activities including a photography contest and seminars on Haimen's goat industry, health culture, and food culture were held during the festival, designed to promote the district's goat industry and goat culture.

Holding the festival is an effort by authorities to bolster the district's goat industry, which will in turn aid its common prosperity drive.

Authorities invested 10 million yuan ($1.39 million) in 2022 to build a goat research institute, which will be equipped with advanced breeding facilities and be able to breed 1,000 goats per year.

Authorities also held a training session in March to help goat raisers develop the industry in a professional, standard and efficient way.

Haimen has established the Goat Industry Association of major enterprises to develop large-scale breeding. As of the end of July, the district had 423,900 goats, an increase of 16.71 percent over the figure for last year.

The local government has been tapping into e-commerce platforms to expand the market share of Haimen goat products.

In addition, a goat-themed park and museum were set up to develop rural tourism so that tourists can enjoy mutton dishes and idyllic scenery.

Fuyang Festival, a traditional Chinese food festival, starts on the first day of Sanfu, the hottest and dampest period of the year in the Chinese lunar calendar that usually comes between mid-July and mid-August.

During the festival, eating mutton and drinking mutton soup is a traditional way of spending the dog days of summer.