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EcoChina | 1,300-year-old agricultural ecosystem shines in SW China's Yunnan

Source: Xinhua

Editor: huaxia

2025-05-06 23:02:17

An aerial drone photo taken on May 2, 2025 shows performances during an event marking the beginning of rice planting in the terraced fields in Jiayin Village of Honghe County of Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (Xinhua/Hu Chao)

KUNMING, May 6 (Xinhua) --Rice cultivation, fish farming, and duck raising -- all in the awe-inspiring terraces. It is a way of life that weaves a story of ecological harmony, traditional wisdom, and modern innovation.

The Cultural Landscape of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2013. The terraces cascade down the slopes of the towering Ailao Mountains to the banks of the Honghe River.

Over the past 1,300 years, the Hani people have developed a complex system of channels to bring water from the forested mountaintops to the terraces. This forms a symbiotic agricultural ecosystem of forests, villages, terraces, and rivers.

As the terraces flourished, so did the popularity of products like red rice, paddy fish, and duck eggs. Coupled with the allure of Hani's ancient songs, traditional farming methods, and ethnic festivals, the terraces have attracted tourists from around the globe.