The Yuanyang Rice Terraces, also known as the Yuanyang Hani Rice Terraces, are located in the southern Ailao Mountains of Yuanyang County, within the Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture of Yunnan Province. As the core area of the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces, they cover an area of approximately 170,000 mu (about 11,300 hectares), with a history dating back to the Sui and Tang dynasties.
The Yuanyang region is a typical area of karst landform development, with strata primarily composed of limestone. Over long ages, numerous caves and underground rivers have formed beneath the surface, while the地表 features unique topography such as peak forests and peak clusters, providing the basic geological framework for the construction of the terraces. The area has a subtropical mountain monsoon climate, characterized by mild weather and abundant rainfall, which offers favorable natural conditions for the formation of the terraces. The soil here is mostly red and yellow soil, rich in organic matter and conducive to crop growth. Dense forests on the mountains supply water to the terraces, with villages nestled among them. People grow rice and other crops in the terraces, achieving a harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature. The main scenic areas include the Qingkou, Bada, Duoyishu, and Laohuzui terraces.
Built along the mountain slopes and adapted to local conditions, the terraces ingeniously construct layers of fields that follow the contour lines, along with an intricate network of irrigation and drainage channels. This system embodies valuable experiences and scientific wisdom, such as storing water at higher elevations and draining it at lower ones, channeling water along slopes, and using wooden markers to distribute water. The resulting three-dimensional living pattern, centered on water and integrating forests, water systems, terraces, and villages, stands as a miracle in the history of world agricultural civilization.
On March 5, 2013, the Yunnan Honghe Hani Rice Terraces, including the Yuanyang Rice Terraces, were announced by the State Council of the People's Republic of China as the seventh batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level. On June 22 of the same year, they were approved for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List as a cultural heritage site. In June 2025, the Yuanyang Rice Terraces were included in the list of Chinese candidate projects for World Heritage Irrigation Structures for the year 2025. On September 1, the Yuanyang Hani Rice Terraces in Yunnan were successfully inscribed on the 2025 World Heritage Irrigation Structures list.