Yuanyang Hani Terraced Fields

The Ailao Mountain Range is a branch of the Yunling Mountains. Its highest peak is 3,165 meters above sea level. The mountain range, running northwest to southeast, is the dividing line between the Hengduan Mountains valley in the west and the plateau in the east of Yunnan, and stretches several hundred kilometers to the Dawei Mountain, Huanglian Mountain and Fenshui mountain nature preserves. The mountain enjoys plentiful rainfall and has numerous springs and streams. In the autumn and winter, the mountain is covered with mist, and in the spring, azaleas bloom. In the forests, ancient pteridophyte lives, and rare state-protected animals live peacefully.

There are a lot of lofty and precipitous mountains. All tarraced fields are built on the mountain slopes. The gradient of these tarraced fields is from 15 degrees to 75 degrees. The higest terraced field has 3, 000 steps. It’s very rare in the world. The Hani Terraced Field in Yuanyang mainly consists of three scenic spots: the Bada Scenic Spot (It includes the terraced field in Qingkou, Quanfu Village, Masu Village and Zhulu, covering an area of over14,000 Mu.); the Tiger Mouth Scenic Spot (It includes Mengping, Dongpu, A’mengkong and Baoshan Village, covering an area of nearly 6,000 Mu.); the Duoyishu Scenic Spot (It includes Duoyishu, Aichun and Dawazhe, coering an area of over 10,000 Mu.). So many terraced fields set off among boundless forest and covered under the vast cloud sea form a magical and splendid scene.

Many ethnic groups live in the Ailao mountains. The Dai ethnic group living on the river banks, have turned the poor land along the river banks into rich farmland. The Yao ethnic group live in the mild river valley, where many fruits and edible mushrooms grow. The Yaos also have their own traditional medicinal herbs. The Miao ethnic group live in the mountains. The Miao women are good at tie-dying and embroidery. The Hani and Yi ethnic groups live on the mountain sides. Their terraced fields are one of the most inspiring scenes in southern Yunnan. They resemble silver ladders, stretching from the foot of the mountains right to the top. The fields, sometimes as large as a dozen mu and sometimes as small as one to two square meters, are a unique sight.

There are no historical records as to when terraced fields were first used. However, according to ancient bronze ware which depicts the ploughing techniques and folk customs of the Yi and Hani ethnic groups, they surely have a long standing history.