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This summer， the Cultural Landscape of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces in southwest China’s Yunnan Province reached a major milestone， 10 years after the local government first set out to make the location a world-class tourist site.
At last， it was successfully inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List at the 37th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Phnom Penh， capital of Cambodia， on June 22.
The Cultural Landscape of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces is the 45th world heritage site in China and the first associated with the Hani ethnic minority.
Tong Mingkang， Deputy Director of State Administration of Cultural Heritage， said at the plenary session， “The cultural landscape of Hani terraces is a unique production pattern of local agriculture and the heritage of the traditions and beliefs of the Hani people， reflecting the respect for tradition and nature by local people.”
Unique landscape
Hani terraces， located in Yuanyang County， Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan Province， cover 461 square km in total. The inscribed world heritage area， covering 166 square km， displays the most concentrated and best-developed terraces in three valleys where 80，000 people from Hani and six other ethnic groups live in 82 villages. Visitors are often enchanted by the grand man-made rice cultivation terraces alongside steep mountain slopes.
Over the past decade， this land of idyllic beauty has been discovered by more and more people around the world. In particular， Honghe Hani Rice Terraces displayed a perfect blend of rice farming and natural landscape in a documentary entitled Wild China， produced by the BBC in association with China Central Television in 2008.
As noted in Wild China， “Chinese have been cultivating rice for at least 8，000 years. It has transformed the landscape.”
Hani terraces present a living history book of rice cultivation. According to historical records， the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces can be dated to more than 1，300 years ago.
“Yunnan’s rice terraces are among the oldest human structures in China， still ploughed， as they always have been， by domesticated water buffalo， whose ancestors originated in these very valleys，” said the narrator of Wild China.
Over the past 1，300 years， the Hani people have developed the local landscape into a harmonious ecological system consisting of four key parts—forests， villages， terraced paddies and water， said Zhang Hongzhen， nomination group leader and Director of Hani Rice Terraces Administrative Bureau. The mountaintop forests are the lifeblood of the system， capturing the water that makes irrigation possible.
“The forests are the only reservoir，” said Zhang.
Forest vegetation atop mountains collects rainwater and carries it into springs and rivers. The Hani people built a complex system of channels to bring water from the forested mountaintops to the terraces along the hill slope. At the bottom of valleys， water evaporates into the upper atmosphere， cooling and again dropping onto the mountain as rain， which forms an ecological cycle， he explained.
The Hani people traditionally believe the woodlands are home to their village god Angma， whose name translates to Village’s Soul， and their land-protection deity Misong， who blesses them with peace and prosperity.
The swampy ground provides ideal conditions for a remarkable crop—rice. This manmade landscape is one of the most amazing engineering feats of pre-industrial China. It looks as if every square inch of land has been ploughed into cultivation. The integrated farming system also involves buffalo， cattle， ducks， fish， eels and other animals.
The culture and religious beliefs of local people center on terraced paddies. The Hani inhabitants worship the sun， moon， mountains， rivers， forests and fire.
Moreover， the resilient land management system of the rice terraces demonstrates extraordinary harmony between people and their environment， both visually and ecologically， based on exceptional and long-standing social and religious structures， according to the World Heritage Committee.
In agricultural production， local farmers believe all natural things are gifts from Mother Earth. Self-sufficient natural economy is the core of the local traditional lifestyle. They try not to use any industrial products， such as chemical fertilizers and tractors.
For example， from late April to late September， Hani people grow red rice， the terrace’s dominant crop. They use cattle and buffalo to plow the terraces. Fish and ducks are also bred in the paddies， which improves fertility while providing food for people and animals.
The water from springs and rain is collected by the forests and distributed to the fields through a system of ditches， canals and bamboo pipes.
The Hani people also like to use readily available local materials to build houses. Their settlements are comprised of “mushroom houses，”built of rammed earth， adobe bricks and stone with umbrella-shaped straw-thatched roofs. Typically， the houses have three stories. The first is for livestock； the second is the living area and the top floor is for grain storage， integrating the functions of dwelling and agriculture.
Preservation efforts
“It is important for us to better preserve and protect this cultural landscape，” said Yang Fusheng， Governor of Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture at a celebration meeting in Yuanyang County on June 22.
“We have learned much from the experience of Hani rice terrace preservation efforts over the past 10 years. And we will continue to improve our work in line with the World Heritage Convention in the future，” Yang said.
In a bid to protect the world wonder， the local government and people have taken a wellrounded and substantial approach.
For example， the local government is working with Tsinghua University’s School of Architecture to develop guidelines for maintaining the mushroom houses’ exterior characteristics with improved interior functions.
As for the upcoming boom of tourism development， the local government has made plans to cope with new challenges. For instance， the government offers farmers subsidies to encourage them to continue cultivating the paddies. Otherwise， it is feared nearly all locals might abandon them to work in the tourism industry. And starting from October， only electric vehicles will be allowed to drive in the heritage area.
“The World Heritage Committee’s designation of Hani terraces will boost the local tourism industry. But we will never develop conventional sightseeing-type tourism that relies on large numbers of visitors flocking to the scenic area，”the prefecture’s deputy governor Tan Ping said at a meeting in Beijing with experts of heritage protection on June 24.
Wang Lijun， Deputy Director of the Architectural History Department at China Architecture Design and Research Group， suggested that the prefecture impose necessary restrictions on visitors entering the heritage area.
It is expected that tourists coming to Yuanyang County will increase by three times as the cultural landscape is inscribed on world heritage list. In following years， that figure may reach 1.5 million visits a year.
“Tourists flocking to villages and farmlands will have an impact on the local ecological system，” Wang said.
Restrictions alone are not enough. Wang suggested the local government lay emphasis on improving the infrastructure of villages and towns， and establish a management system to provide convenient services for visitors. In that way， tourists can experience traditional country life and enjoy relaxation without trampling the precious environment.
Lu Zhengkang， a 43-year-old Hani villager， opened a family inn years ago. Recently， Lu’s income has spiked as the Hani terraces have attracted more visitors.
Addressing fears of a decline in rice paddy cultivation， Lu said， “Planting rice in terraces is the precious tradition of the Hani people. No matter how rich we are， we will not abandon the land we inherited from our ancestors. Otherwise， it would bring shame to the family.”
At last， it was successfully inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List at the 37th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Phnom Penh， capital of Cambodia， on June 22.
The Cultural Landscape of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces is the 45th world heritage site in China and the first associated with the Hani ethnic minority.
Tong Mingkang， Deputy Director of State Administration of Cultural Heritage， said at the plenary session， “The cultural landscape of Hani terraces is a unique production pattern of local agriculture and the heritage of the traditions and beliefs of the Hani people， reflecting the respect for tradition and nature by local people.”
Unique landscape
Hani terraces， located in Yuanyang County， Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan Province， cover 461 square km in total. The inscribed world heritage area， covering 166 square km， displays the most concentrated and best-developed terraces in three valleys where 80，000 people from Hani and six other ethnic groups live in 82 villages. Visitors are often enchanted by the grand man-made rice cultivation terraces alongside steep mountain slopes.
Over the past decade， this land of idyllic beauty has been discovered by more and more people around the world. In particular， Honghe Hani Rice Terraces displayed a perfect blend of rice farming and natural landscape in a documentary entitled Wild China， produced by the BBC in association with China Central Television in 2008.
As noted in Wild China， “Chinese have been cultivating rice for at least 8，000 years. It has transformed the landscape.”
Hani terraces present a living history book of rice cultivation. According to historical records， the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces can be dated to more than 1，300 years ago.
“Yunnan’s rice terraces are among the oldest human structures in China， still ploughed， as they always have been， by domesticated water buffalo， whose ancestors originated in these very valleys，” said the narrator of Wild China.
Over the past 1，300 years， the Hani people have developed the local landscape into a harmonious ecological system consisting of four key parts—forests， villages， terraced paddies and water， said Zhang Hongzhen， nomination group leader and Director of Hani Rice Terraces Administrative Bureau. The mountaintop forests are the lifeblood of the system， capturing the water that makes irrigation possible.
“The forests are the only reservoir，” said Zhang.
Forest vegetation atop mountains collects rainwater and carries it into springs and rivers. The Hani people built a complex system of channels to bring water from the forested mountaintops to the terraces along the hill slope. At the bottom of valleys， water evaporates into the upper atmosphere， cooling and again dropping onto the mountain as rain， which forms an ecological cycle， he explained.
The Hani people traditionally believe the woodlands are home to their village god Angma， whose name translates to Village’s Soul， and their land-protection deity Misong， who blesses them with peace and prosperity.
The swampy ground provides ideal conditions for a remarkable crop—rice. This manmade landscape is one of the most amazing engineering feats of pre-industrial China. It looks as if every square inch of land has been ploughed into cultivation. The integrated farming system also involves buffalo， cattle， ducks， fish， eels and other animals.
The culture and religious beliefs of local people center on terraced paddies. The Hani inhabitants worship the sun， moon， mountains， rivers， forests and fire.
Moreover， the resilient land management system of the rice terraces demonstrates extraordinary harmony between people and their environment， both visually and ecologically， based on exceptional and long-standing social and religious structures， according to the World Heritage Committee.
In agricultural production， local farmers believe all natural things are gifts from Mother Earth. Self-sufficient natural economy is the core of the local traditional lifestyle. They try not to use any industrial products， such as chemical fertilizers and tractors.
For example， from late April to late September， Hani people grow red rice， the terrace’s dominant crop. They use cattle and buffalo to plow the terraces. Fish and ducks are also bred in the paddies， which improves fertility while providing food for people and animals.
The water from springs and rain is collected by the forests and distributed to the fields through a system of ditches， canals and bamboo pipes.
The Hani people also like to use readily available local materials to build houses. Their settlements are comprised of “mushroom houses，”built of rammed earth， adobe bricks and stone with umbrella-shaped straw-thatched roofs. Typically， the houses have three stories. The first is for livestock； the second is the living area and the top floor is for grain storage， integrating the functions of dwelling and agriculture.
Preservation efforts
“It is important for us to better preserve and protect this cultural landscape，” said Yang Fusheng， Governor of Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture at a celebration meeting in Yuanyang County on June 22.
“We have learned much from the experience of Hani rice terrace preservation efforts over the past 10 years. And we will continue to improve our work in line with the World Heritage Convention in the future，” Yang said.
In a bid to protect the world wonder， the local government and people have taken a wellrounded and substantial approach.
For example， the local government is working with Tsinghua University’s School of Architecture to develop guidelines for maintaining the mushroom houses’ exterior characteristics with improved interior functions.
As for the upcoming boom of tourism development， the local government has made plans to cope with new challenges. For instance， the government offers farmers subsidies to encourage them to continue cultivating the paddies. Otherwise， it is feared nearly all locals might abandon them to work in the tourism industry. And starting from October， only electric vehicles will be allowed to drive in the heritage area.
“The World Heritage Committee’s designation of Hani terraces will boost the local tourism industry. But we will never develop conventional sightseeing-type tourism that relies on large numbers of visitors flocking to the scenic area，”the prefecture’s deputy governor Tan Ping said at a meeting in Beijing with experts of heritage protection on June 24.
Wang Lijun， Deputy Director of the Architectural History Department at China Architecture Design and Research Group， suggested that the prefecture impose necessary restrictions on visitors entering the heritage area.
It is expected that tourists coming to Yuanyang County will increase by three times as the cultural landscape is inscribed on world heritage list. In following years， that figure may reach 1.5 million visits a year.
“Tourists flocking to villages and farmlands will have an impact on the local ecological system，” Wang said.
Restrictions alone are not enough. Wang suggested the local government lay emphasis on improving the infrastructure of villages and towns， and establish a management system to provide convenient services for visitors. In that way， tourists can experience traditional country life and enjoy relaxation without trampling the precious environment.
Lu Zhengkang， a 43-year-old Hani villager， opened a family inn years ago. Recently， Lu’s income has spiked as the Hani terraces have attracted more visitors.
Addressing fears of a decline in rice paddy cultivation， Lu said， “Planting rice in terraces is the precious tradition of the Hani people. No matter how rich we are， we will not abandon the land we inherited from our ancestors. Otherwise， it would bring shame to the family.”