Yuanyang: Rice-transplanting begins in breathtaking terraced fields

Villagers in south Yunnan’s Yuanyang County held an agricultural ceremony April 28 to mark the beginning of transplanting rice seedlings into the beautiful terraced fields there.

As a traditional occasion for the local Hani ethnic group to show respect to mother Nature and pray for a favorable weather and bumper harvest, the ceremony saw almost all villagers, old and young, male and female, wearing brand-new costumes and participating in high spirits. 

Located about 300 kilometers south of Kunming in the Honghe Hani and Yi autonomous prefecture, Yuanyang Rice Terraces are the Hani ethnic minority's masterpiece of ingenuity. In unique shapes and sizes with thousands of years of history, they form a mosaic of colorful and breathtaking landscapes of natural beauty.

Known as a "land sculpture", the terraced fields have been officially acknowledged by UNESCO as a World Cultural and Natural Heritage Site in 2013. There are three popular scenic areas: Duoyishu, Bada, and Laohuzui. 

The entrance fee is 100 yuan per person. There are buses from Kunming to Yuanyang's old town, Xinjie Town, close to the terraces, and the journey takes about 8 hours.

Source: Xinhua; trans-editing by Wang Shixue