BEIJING – 20 August 2025 – As China marks the 40th anniversary of its accession to the World Heritage Convention, the country is placing a spotlight on one of its most striking cultural landscapes – the Hani Terraced Fields in Yunnan Province. The intricate, stepped rice fields are not only a visual spectacle but also a living demonstration of sustainable farming techniques developed more than a millennium ago.
Located in Yuanyang County within the Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, the terraces spill down mountainsides with gradients as steep as 75 degrees. In some areas, as many as 3,000 steps descend in layers from mist-covered peaks to fertile valleys, creating a patchwork that has long fascinated scientists, tourists, and cultural heritage experts alike.
Ancient ingenuity on modern display
The story of the terraces is rooted in migration and resilience. Over 1,000 years ago, the ancestors of the Hani people moved southwards into the challenging landscapes of Yunnan. Faced with steep mountains and unpredictable water supplies, they developed a sophisticated system of terraced rice cultivation that endures today.
“Despite the challenging natural environment, they made the most of the mountains and waters,” explained Ma Chongwei, professor at Yunnan University. According to Ma, the Hani carved out more than 1 million mu – roughly 66,667 hectares – of rice terraces, some at elevations exceeding 2,000 metres.
Water has always been central to the system. The Hani engineered thousands of small channels to harness and divert streams from mountaintops. These channels weave through villages and terraces before emptying into valley rivers, ensuring a consistent and reliable supply for crops. Channel maintainers play a critical role, overseeing the flow and clearing debris to maintain balance.
For irrigation, the Hani devised a system of allocation tools that allow water to be shared equitably across a sprawling network of channels and ditches. It is a technique that has kept generations of communities fed while demonstrating a rare harmony between human needs and natural rhythms.
A shared landscape and cultural anchor
The terraces are not only a technological feat but also an enduring part of Hani identity. For centuries, the Hani have cultivated the fields alongside Yi, Dai and other ethnic groups who share the land and its resources. This coexistence has shaped a distinctive cultural and spiritual relationship with the terraces.
“Deeply integrated into the ethnic culture, the terraces have now become the eternal spiritual homeland of the Hani people,” the statement noted. Beyond agriculture, the fields represent continuity and survival, embodying both agrarian wisdom and cultural resilience.
The importance of the terraces extends beyond their immediate communities. In 2013, the Cultural Landscape of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, cementing its global recognition as an outstanding example of sustainable land use. The inclusion reflected not only the terraces’ aesthetic beauty but also their testimony to long-term ecological balance.
Commemorating heritage in 2025
This year’s anniversary of China’s participation in the World Heritage Convention has renewed focus on the terraces as a case study in preservation and sustainability. Officials have emphasised how the Hani’s innovations continue to offer lessons in water management, biodiversity, and climate resilience at a time when global agriculture faces mounting challenges.
In the words of the release: “In the terraces lies a harmonious coexistence of humanity and nature, the agrarian wisdom attuned to natural rhythms and an enduring spirit of perseverance.”
As China celebrates four decades of commitment to UNESCO’s global framework, the Hani Terraced Fields serve as a reminder that some of the most effective technologies for living with the land are those rooted in tradition. With their stepped horizons and flowing waters, the terraces symbolise not only a remarkable engineering achievement but also a model of harmony between human ingenuity and the natural world.