Rice Terraces in Yuanyang

Yuanyang is world famous for its Hani ethnic minority-constructed farming terraces that zigzag upwards over range upon range of slopes to a height of 144 to 2,000 meters. As the Hani people say, they can build and water terraces on any mountain, no matter how tall.

The terraces have a 1,300-year history, and in that time Hani farmers have perfected a rice terrace-oriented farming and seeding ecosystem. For the past 50 years, the terraces have produced between 100 to 150 kilograms, sometimes as much as 300 kilograms, of rice per Mu (a sixth of an acre), an output that compares with that of any plains area. Incredibly enough, Yuanyang, with its high mountains and steep valleys and forests, is actually a huge granary in Yunnan Province that was relied on heavily in the 1960s and 1970s to alleviate famine in the inland areas.

The Hani terraces and their irrigation system constitute ingenious agricultural innovation. Ailao Mountain's temperate climate and large scope of vegetation assures precipitation adequate to water the terraces, but equal apportionment of water to each plot on each terrace requires specialized skill. The Hani people call their method of water management, "Carving Wood to Ration Water"; villagers from each household mark different gradations on a wooden cross and place it in front of the terrace's source of water. When water flowing into the terraces reaches a specific gradation, the flow ceases.

This system ensures enough water for every terraced plot.

Shi Junchao, who has spent many years on research into Hani Culture, says, As the Hani people rely on the terraces for their subsistence, there has evolved a terrace culture, apparent in folk customs such as the Name Giving Ceremony.

When a baby boy is born, a field plowing ceremony is held, whereby make-believe terraces are drawn on the courtyard floor and a seven-or eight-year-old boy apes the hoeing process. If the infant is a girl, a seven-or eight-year-old girl mimes field work with a basket on her back. It is after the ceremony that the infant is given a name and declared a true member of the village. When someone passes away, he or she is buried on the slope beside the terrace to guard it from the nether world.