British media: China's terraced miracle, "engineering miracle that can be seen in space"

Source: Global Times

The BBC Article on October 26, Original Title: The Miracle of Rice Terraces Built by China for Generations It is often said that the Great Wall of China is the only man-made object that can be seen from space. Of course, this is not true. But in low orbit, if humans can really find some engineering miracles on Earth with the naked eye, then in China, they will certainly include the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces (pictured). These vast terraces are built in the mountains of the southwestern province of Yunnan, with hundreds of thousands of them, totaling more than 160 square kilometers, creating one of the most spectacular and stunning landscapes on earth.

Red River Hani Rice Terraces

Through this sprawling project for generations, the Hani people here (one of China's 55 ethnic minorities) use the local environment to benefit the entire ethnic group.

After more than a thousand years of trial and error correction, these rice terraces have become inspiring examples of the coexistence of entire communities with nature. Rainwater and moisture from dense mountain fog are collected by forest catchments located high on the hillside to replenish groundwater; springs are diverted to irrigate terraces; water vapor is pooled into clouds; and clouds gather to sprinkle rain on forests on the high mountains. This water cycle is then repeated indefinitely. Today, these terraces are still used by more than 80 villages.

Hani farmers began digging terraces from the Tang Dynasty. Since then, the terraces have been cared for by them. They climb from the riparian zone at an altitude of less than 500 meters to the misty mountains at an altitude of more than 1800 meters, with a maximum slope of 70 degrees. The often abused term "ladder" is most aptly used here.

Although each growing season is gradually extended and expanded, this vast engineering marvel and abstract work of art of the Hani people has been largely unknown to the world for centuries. It wasn't until the early 2000s, with the opening of new asphalt roads and the determination of the local government to declare them a World Heritage Site (which was eventually inscribed on the list in 2013), that these terraces attracted a lot of attention. For the past 10 years, every Spring Festival, photography enthusiasts from the city have flocked to capture the stunning terraced scenery with high-pixel cameras. (By Gary Jones, translated by Wang Huicong)