Current location:opinions >>
Ancient Water
opinions2People have gathered around
IntroductionContact Us HomeNewsHighlightACWF NewsSocietyWom ...
- Home
- News
- People
- In-depth
- ACWF
Ancient Water-Saving Wisdom in UNESCO World Heritage
March 25, 2022Aerial photo taken on Feb. 24, 2021 shows the scenery of Hani terraced fields in Yuanyang County of Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province. [Xinhua/Chen Xinbo] |
KUNMING, March 22 (Xinhua) — Holding Mother Nature in reverence, the Hani people in southwest China have been leveraging their water-saving wisdom on the unique wonder of terraced fields for over 1,300 years.
The terraced fields in Yuanyang County of Yunnan Province were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2013.
The local Hani, an ethnic group that mostly inhabits the area across the Ailao Mountains, has not only created the agricultural heritage but forged a special bond with an irreplaceable source of life — water.
The Hani people invented a simple but useful system to distribute valuable water resources.
After directing water from the forested hilltop through a channel, the villagers, led by respected seniors, would negotiate on the shares of water for each household. Then they put wooden bars with different grooves on the outlets of the channel. The wider the grooves, the larger flow of water, and vice versa.
"A 4-cm-wide flow of water can irrigate 2 hectares of paddy fields," said Pu Xuechang, a villager of the county's Yakou Village.
Pu added that the bars would be replaced every 10 years considering water erosion. A supervisor is also elected by the villagers to maintain the water distribution system.
Li Jinliang was voted in to be the supervisor of the village. He patrols the fields every day to protect the channel from damage and ensure the stable flow of water.
"The flow of water must run all year round, otherwise the ridges at the rice fields would easily collapse due to water shortage," Li said.
Li added the Hani people only use pig or cow manure as opposed to chemical fertilizer to protect the soil. They also channel the manure to the fields through the water distribution system to save labor.
More than 90 percent of the water in the county comes from the provincial nature reserve of Guanyinshan, said Bai Jinyin, director of the reserve's conservation bureau.
Bai added that the water resources in the reserve have been well protected, with the river water volume increasing by 20 percent compared with that in 2014.
"The Hani people can't live without water. The traditional Hani culture attaches great importance to water conservation," Pu said. "Only by protecting water can we preserve everything."
(Source: Xinhua)
32.3KPlease understand that womenofchina.cn,a non-profit, information-communication website, cannot reach every writer before using articles and images. For copyright issues, please contact us by emailing: [email protected]. The articles published and opinions expressed on this website represent the opinions of writers and are not necessarily shared by womenofchina.cn.
Comments
Magazines
Projects
- 2023 Women Science and Technology Innovation Pioneer...
Photos
- People Enjoy Blooming Tulips in Jinan, East...
- Flowers Bloom Across China in Spring
Special Coverage
Tags:
Reprint:Friends are welcome to share on the Internet, but please indicate the source of the article when reprinting it.“Stellar Space news portal”。http://iceland.downmusic.org/article-36c099921.html
Related articles
Messi in and Dybala out in Argentina squad for pre
opinionsBUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Lionel Messi is in and Paulo Dybala is out of Argentina’s squad for f ...
【opinions】
Read moreI was uninvited to my best friend's wedding
opinionsA woman has spoken about the reason she was uninvited from her friend's wedding, despite attending t ...
【opinions】
Read moreSpotify hikes its prices for millions of UK customers: Premium plans jump by up to 13%
opinionsWith more than 600 million users worldwide, Spotify is one of the biggest apps of them all. But its ...
【opinions】
Read more
Popular articles
- Adams, Reyna, Turner, Ream are US concerns ahead of Copa America
- I found BUGS wriggling in my Sainsbury's risotto rice
- Georgia Steel risks an awkward run
- TOWIE's Chloe Meadows and Sophie Kasaei put on busty displays in form
- Russian theater director and playwright go on trial over a play authorities say justifies terrorism
- Sky is back online following a five
Latest articles
Devout Christian doctor, 68, who punched dementia
I used ChatGPT to go on hundreds of Tinder dates
Georgia Steel risks an awkward run
Airplane passenger sparks furious debate about PETS flying in
Who is Jacob Zuma, the former South African president disqualified from next week's election?
Moment police arrest teenager Brian Cohee who hid head of homeless man he murdered in closet
LINKS
- 3 scientists share 2022 Nobel Chemistry Prize
- Northerners head south for warmth
- China's autonomous driving enters fast lane with commercial operations
- 3 scientists share 2022 Nobel Chemistry Prize
- Northerners head south for warmth
- Explainer: Payment service guide for overseas visitors to China
- China prepares to launch Shenzhou
- U.S. plan to replace China
- Semiconductor industry to overcome challenges
- Luxury shopping over extended holiday heating up