Shawan is a major cotton-producing area in northern Xinjiang. According to the local bureau of agriculture and rural affairs, the city planted 1.6457 million mu (about 109,713 hectares) of cotton this year, with mechanized operations accounting for more than 99 percent of the work from sowing to harvesting. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)

　　Lu Dewen checks the humidity of packed cotton at a cotton field in Daquan Township of Shawan, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Oct. 1, 2026. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)

　　Lu Dewen (L) and his team troubleshoot a cotton picker at a field in Shawan, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Oct. 1, 2026. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)

　　A cotton picker of Lu Dewen's team harvests cotton for other farmers at a field in Daquan Township of Shawan, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Oct. 1, 2026. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)

　　Lu Dewen (R) leads his team in harvesting cotton for other farmers while his father stands at his side in Shawan, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Sept. 30, 2026. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)