Tour Map of Yuanyang Hani Rice Terraces

The Yuanyang Rice Terraces, located in the southern part of the Ailao Mountains in Yuanyang County (元阳县), Honghe Prefecture (红河州), Yunnan Province (云南省), are a masterpiece created by generations of the Hani people (哈尼族). These terraces form the core area of the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces (红河哈尼梯田).​

The Honghe Hani Rice Terraces are a remarkable example of agricultural civilization, developed by the Hani and other local ethnic groups who ingeniously adapted to the unique geographical and climatic conditions. The terraces are vast and majestic, sculpted to follow the contours of the mountains. Gentler slopes accommodate larger fields, while steeper areas are utilized for smaller plots, with some fields carved into crevices between rocks. This results in a landscape where a single hillside can contain thousands of acres of terraced fields.​

Situated in southern Yunnan, the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces span across Yuanyang (元阳), Honghe (红河), Jinping (金平), and Lüchun (绿春) counties, covering a total area of approximately 1 million mu (about 66,700 hectares). Yuanyang County alone boasts 170,000 mu (about 11,300 hectares) of terraces. Over the past 1,300 years, the Hani people have continuously “sculpted” this harmonious landscape of mountains, water, and fields.​

On June 22, 2013, during the 37th session of the World Heritage Committee, the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces were successfully inscribed on the World Heritage List, becoming China’s 45th World Heritage site.