The province of Shanxi is one of the Chinese regions that has folk customs at the earliest time. Some of its festive seasonal activities are unique to the province, such as the Grain Bin Filling Festival.

This festival falls on the 25th day of the first lunar month, with the filling of the bin with grain to represent people’s hopes for a bountiful harvest in the coming year, with increased production and plentiful crops.

The local people also fill some water containers and put bits of coal at the doorway, as a way of protecting their house. Even elderly people in urban areas still hold to this practice and will buy rice and wheat to fill a grain bin, in hopes that there will be enough food and a better life for the entire year.