Landscape in Dongchuan
Chinese photographer Zhang Ning captured these stunning images of rice terraces on her travels through China’s landscape and terrain.
The 51-year old photographer took the photos during her trips to the southwestern provinces of Yunnan, Guangxi and Guizhou, home to rice fields cloaked in breathtakingly vivid colors and amazing sculpted terraces.
While beautiful, they are also a sign of the harsh conditions borne by farmers and a testament to the extraordinary work that goes into shaping the land for their use, something that Zhang Ning wants to convey through her photos.
“These pictures show how beautiful the landscape is, and they also send a message that it is a very tough and harsh life for those who have shaped the landscape. The provinces, located in southwest China, are where the landscapes are very hilly and people have to make the most of the mountains. They build these spectacular terraces for more effective farming.”
The Hani Rice Terraces located in the mountains above Yuanyang are often described as a “stairway to heaven” due to the vast layers of land that reach up to 2,000 meters above sea level. Through the efforts of the Hani people, the area has been transformed over the past 2,500 years into fertile rice paddies that are also places of majestic beauty, and have been recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural and Natural Heritage site.
If you are considering a trip to China in the future, it would be worth making a trip to the southwest provinces to gaze upon these magnificent landscapes.
Rice terraces captured by Zhang Ning on her trips across China
Hani Rice Terraces in Yuanyang, often referred to as the “stairway to heaven”
Landscape in Dongchuan
Rice terraces in Yuanyang
Landscape in Dazai
Landscape in Yuanyang
Yuanyuang Rice Terraces located in the southern Ailao Mountains
The field is irrigated with spring water from the forest to prepare it for the next growing season
The mountain slopes of terraces created by the Hani people thousands of years ago still in use today
Crystal clear waters flow down the mountains which are surrounded by clean fresh air
Dazai terraces created during the Yuan dynasty (1271-1368) and finished during the Qing dynasty (1644-1911)
[via Faith Is Torment and Daily Mail]