Legacy etched in terraces blends with vibrant modernity

KUNMING -- Amid the rice terraces in Dayutang Village in southwest China's Yunnan Province, Li Zhengfu continues an agricultural practice that has been handed down for over 1,000 years among the local Hani people.

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.

Li's terraced fields are nestled in the core region of these terraces. However, the rugged slopes of the Ailao mountains lack large swaths of flat land, making modern agricultural equipment impractical for these small terraces. Consequently, the income derived from the terraces remained limited for many years.

Despite these challenges, Li stayed steadfast. "The terraces are my roots," he said. "We can lose anything but not the fields."

To protect the terraces while improving income, Li leased his land to Yue Shao, a local entrepreneur. Yue worked to uphold and innovate Hani's traditional ecological farming model combining rice cultivation, fish farming, and duck raising.

The innovative step, deeply rooted in tradition, boosted the income from each acre of land. The average disposable income of farmers in the heritage region has increased from 3,928 yuan (about 544.8 U.S. dollars) in 2013 to 12,502 yuan.

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.

Azheke Village in Yuanyang County is a Hani tourism hotspot with its native ecology and culture, which are deemed a living museum of Hani dwellings. Traditional Hani houses, recognized by their thatched roofs and umbrella-like wooden structure, known locally as "mushroom houses," have been preserved and passed down through the sweep of 1,000 years.

However, traditional Hani villages like Azheke once faced challenges. Many local young people left for jobs in cities, leading to messy and rundown village environments. Homes were in disrepair, and the continuity of traditional culture was once in jeopardy.

In response to these challenges, in 2018, a team from Sun Yat-sen University, invited by the local government, developed a plan that includes villagers as shareholders in a local tourism development firm. Through dividends, the company encourages villagers to conserve traditional houses, cultivate terraces, and retain their village household registration.

Thanks to these efforts, traditional dwellings and villages have retained their original characteristics, charm, and nostalgic appeal.

Today, the traditional Hani villages have seen new changes. "Now, many villagers know how to use computers, and some can even speak some basic English to communicate with foreign tourists," said Liu Yang, village chief of Azheke.