The World Heritage Committee has inscribed a site of rice terraces in Yunnan (China) and an extension to the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park which is now known as the mixed cultural and natural Maloti Drakensberg Tranboundary World Heritage Site (Lesotho and South Africa).

Cultural Landscape of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces, China

The Cultural Landscape of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces, China covers 16,603-hectares in Southern Yunnan. It is marked by spectacular terraces that cascade down the slopes of the towering Ailao Mountains to the banks of the Hong 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. They have also created an integrated farming system that involves buffalos, cattle, ducks, fish and eel and supports the production of red rice, the area’s primary crop. The inhabitants worship the sun, moon, mountains, rivers, forests and other natural phenomena including fire. They live in 82 villages situated between the mountaintop forests and the terraces. The villages feature traditional thatched “mushroom” houses. The resilient land management system of the rice terraces demonstrates extraordinary harmony between people and their environment, both visually and ecologically, based on exceptional and long-standing social and religious structures.

Maloti Drakensberg

The World Heritage Committee has decided to inscribe Lesotho’s  Sehlabathebe National Park as an extension to the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park  (in South Africa), which is now to be named Maloti Drakensberg Tranboundary World Heritage Site.  The 6,550 hectare addition to the existing site consists of a spectacularly beautiful watershed area that hosts flora and fauna of scientific importance. They include the Maloti Minnow, a critically endangered fish species only to be found in the Park. Other endangered species include the Cape Vulture (Gyps coprotheres) and the Bearded Vulture (Gyps barbatus). Sehlabathebe National Park’s African Alpine tundra ecosystem with its 250 endemic  plant species significantly enhances the value of uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park. It also features important rock paintings made by the San people who have been living on the site for  4,000 years.

Additions to the World Heritage List are to continue today and possibly tomorrow, as the World Heritage Committee pursues its work. The 37th session, taking place in Phnom Penh, will close in Angkor on 27 June.

The Honghe Hani Rice Terraces are the system of Hani rice-growing terraces located in Honghe Prefecture, Yuanyang County, Yunnan, China. The terraces' history spans around 1,200 years. The distribution has four counties: Yuanyang, Honghe, Jinpin and Lüchun. The core area of the terraces is located in Yuanyang County. The area has 1,000,000 acres and declaration area has 16,603 ha.

In 2013, the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces were listed as a World Heritage Site.

Scenic Sites

There are 4 major scenic spots in the area. They are Duoyi Tree, Bada, Tiger Mouth and Jingkou Village. They scatter in the different places of Yuanyang.The terraces present different views in different seasons. From November to March, the terrace fields will be filled with water. When the sunlight shines on the water, the terrace will be very beautiful. From April to September, there will be green paddy rice all over the field. In late September and early October, the rice fields ripe and turn yellow.

CNY 100 for a through ticket valid for one day, CNY180 valid for 10 days and CNY360 valid for 1 year. It’s not convenient to travel between the scenic spots. So it’s best to rent a car to visit these scenic spots, which is more flexible and easy to drop by to take photos. It is recommended to watch the sunrise in Duoyi Tree and watch the sunset at Tiger Mouth. Cloud sea often occur in Bada Scenic Spot. Jingkou Village is well-preserved Hani Village, where tourists could experience local culture. There are also many other terraces worth visiting and no entrance fee required, such as Longshuba and Habo Village.