10 recent Chinese additions to the World Heritage List

Terraces are flat areas created on the side of a hill and used especially for growing crops. [Photo/IC]

5. Cultural Landscape of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces

The Cultural Landscape of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces 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. The inhabitants worship the sun, moon, mountains, rivers, forests and other natural phenomena including fire.

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.

It was added into the list on June 23, 2013.