!!!Rice Terraces- Part 2

Photos by [Sergey Semenov|http://www.airpano.com/semenov] and
[Stas Sedov|http://rccam.livejournal.com],
members of the [AirPano Team|Geography/About/Consortium/AirPano,_Team] that is a member of the [global-geography Consortium|Geography/About/Consortium]. \\

12 March 2021

with kind permission of [AirPano|http://www.AirPano.com]

Rice Terraces, Yunnan province, China

In the southwest part of China, sharing a border with Myanmar, Laos, and
Vietnam, there lies Yunnan province. Mountains make up most of its
territory (the maximum height is 6,740 meters). However, moving south,
the mountain terrain gradually transforms into picturesque hills and
valleys with fertile soil.

[{Image src='01_Yunnan.jpg' caption='Rice Terraces, Yunnan province, China\\© [AirPano|https://www.AirPano.com]' alt='' width='900' popup='false'}]

The weather in this part of China is warm and humid; the climate is
similar to a tropical one, which makes agriculture the main occupation
of the local people. And, they are very successful at it! High quality
Chinese red tea, sugar cane, tobacco, and rice are cultivated here.

[{Image src='02_Yunnan.jpg' caption='Rice Terraces, Yunnan province, China\\© [AirPano|https://www.AirPano.com]' alt='' width='900' popup='false'}]

The tea is so uniquely delicious that it is named after the province
where it's being grown — "Yunnan". However, the rice is what makes this
place special and brings unparalleled world fame to the province. In
addition to their practical agricultural use, rice terraces (fields that
follow the shape of a hill) turned out to be a great attraction for
everyone who can appreciate natural beauty. There are no words to
describe this stunning picture, and we don't need to — you will see it
for yourself though our panoramas. However, we would like to tell you
how the cascading rice terraces were invented.

[{Image src='03_Yunnan.jpg' caption='Rice Terraces, Yunnan province, China\\© [AirPano|https://www.AirPano.com]' alt='' width='900' popup='false'}]

It is believed that in Asia, and in China in particular, people started
to cultivate rice almost 8,000 years ago. Unlike flat marshlands, where
it was very simple to plant seeds and harvest crops — peasants in the
mountainous areas had to be inventive and modify the landscape to suit
the agricultural needs. This is how the rice terraces were created in
China as well as several other countries.

[{Image src='04_Yunnan.jpg' caption='Rice Terraces, Yunnan province, China\\© [AirPano|https://www.AirPano.com]' alt='' width='900' popup='false'}]

The terraces in Yunnan are located at an altitude of 200—2,000 meters
above the sea level. They occupy a territory of over 20,000 square
kilometers, tracing the contours of mountain slopes everywhere. The
cascading steps were cut in the hill slopes one generation after
another.  This work required not only a lot of physical labor, but also
precision: a slightest mistake could damage the fragile walls of the
terrace and compromise an entire irrigation system, as well as cause
leaching of precious red topsoil.

[{Image src='05_Yunnan.jpg' caption='Rice Terraces, Yunnan province, China\\© [AirPano|https://www.AirPano.com]' alt='' width='900' popup='false'}]

The rice planting starts in February and continues through March. By
this time, spring mountain water fills up the terraced paddy fields.
Rice ripens by September and so the harvesting begins. The landscape of
rice terraces changes throughout the year, in accordance with the
agricultural cycle.

[{Image src='06_Yunnan.jpg' caption='Rice Terraces, Yunnan province, China\\© [AirPano|https://www.AirPano.com]' alt='' width='900' popup='false'}]

Summer is the time of young green sprouts. Autumn brings wonderful gold
and red colors to the hills. But the most beautiful time for the
terraces is from November through April: cascading fields filled with
spring water reflect the sunrays. One can see the sunrise, the sunset,
and the clear blue sky reflected in thousands of little "mirrors". The
variety of colors in combination with the glare of the sun creates a
unique picture.

Despite its stunning beauty, Yunnan province does not suffer from mass
tourism. The lack of a nearby airport, bad roads, and remote mountain
ridges prevent a great number of people from coming here. However, this
is exactly what helps preserve the pristine beauty of this landscape.

[{Image src='07_Yunnan.jpg' caption='Rice Terraces, Yunnan province, China\\© [AirPano|https://www.AirPano.com]' alt='' width='900' popup='false'}]

\\ \\
[12 panoramas of Rice Terraces- Part 2|Geography/Asia/China/Pictures/Rice_Terraces-_2]

[{SET customtitle='Rice Terraces- Part 2 (AP)'}]












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