A farmer picks grapes in Lile village, Luocheng Mulao autonomous county, in the Guangxi zhuang autonomous region on Tuesday. [Photo by Liao Guangfu/for chinadaily.com.cn]

As autumn approaches, farmers gathered a bumper harvest of grapes in Luocheng Mulao autonomous county, Hechi, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, dubbed the hometown of the Chinese downy grape, a raw material for red wine.

The total area under cultivation in the county was more than 5,333 hectares in 2019, yielding 15,400 metric tons of grapes, according to the county government.

Vineyards in the mountainous county not only help prevent soil erosion but also provide a major income stream.

Nearly 3,800 poor households have benefited from grapes, and 1,200 have been lifted out of poverty since 2012, the county government said.