Photos

I was fascinated by the Rice Terrace which is crafted out by bare hands by the Hani one thousand years ago and is still in use today.

This is a perfect example of SYMBIOSIS with nature.

Yuanyang Rice Terrace is a self sustaining ecosystem; the entire rice terrace is irrigated with spring water from the forest above

There is only one harvest in a year for the Yuanyang Rice Terrace; planting is from March to Oct/Nov every year.

During winter to early spring, the empty rice is filed with spring water from the forest above to rejuvenate and prepared the terrace for the next season. The Hani people have repeated this for more than a thousand years.

The water evaporate from the rice terrace to form cloud, the rain water is collected and trapped by the forest on the mountains, the spring water flow down to the rice terrace and the whole cycle repeats itself perpetually.

This photo was taken on my latest trip to Yanyang and probably my last trip. As you can see the person nearest on the picture is on higher ground. Below her is the mud barrier, when it is remove water will flow down hill to irrigate the rice field below.