Publications
Effects of Altitude, Slope Aspect, and Soil Depth on Soil Properties and Herbaceous Root Distribution in Honghe Hani Rice Terraces
Research reveals that soil physical properties and nutrient contents in the Yuanyang Hani Terrace system exhibit distinct patterns influenced by altitude, slope aspect, and soil depth. Soil bulk density follows a unimodal trend along elevation gradients, with mid-elevations showing optimal conditions for porosity and infiltration rates, while high elevations present the poorest conditions. Shady slopes generally outperform sunny slopes, particularly at mid-elevations, where aspect-induced differences in bulk density are most pronounced. An unusual combination of high bulk density with peak porosity and infiltration rates was observed in the 20–40 cm soil layer, attributed to compaction-induced pore configuration changes that preserve preferential flow pathways. Nutrient levels vary significantly, with total potassium and available phosphorus peaking at low elevations due to chemical weathering intensity and plant uptake competition. Root systems are predominantly concentrated in the surface layer (0–20 cm), showing strong positive correlations with soil moisture and porosity, and negative correlations with bulk density. Principal component analysis indicates that physical hydrological processes are the primary drivers of environmental differentiation, explaining 73.4% of the variance. These findings provide a theoretical basis for sustainable management of terrace agroecosystems.
Feeding Waters
Centuries-old agricultural landscapes, including the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces in China, demonstrate how adaptive practices can sustain food security, livelihoods, and biodiversity while working with natural water cycles. A comparative analysis of four traditional systems reveals their resilience stems from dynamic adaptation to environmental and socio-economic shifts, rather than rigid practices. Key lessons highlight circular water and nutrient flows, climate adaptability, the interdependence of food, ecology, and society, and the benefits of nature-based production over monocultures. However, these systems face threats from aging farming populations and urban expansion, which can disrupt their ecological foundations. The study advocates for adaptive agro-landscape planning to preserve these sustainable models in modern contexts.
Intelligent route optimization for agricultural heritage tourism using deep reinforcement learning
Deep reinforcement learning significantly enhances route optimization for agricultural heritage tourism, achieving up to 31.6% improvement in sustainability compliance while increasing tourist satisfaction by 18.5% and route efficiency by 23.3% compared to traditional methods like genetic algorithms. The study introduces the Dueling Double Deep Q-Network (D3QN) framework, which integrates multi-objective constraints such as seasonal farming activities, ecological sensitivity, and socio-cultural heritage preservation into dynamic route planning for UNESCO World Heritage Sites like the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces. Operating in a simulated environment, D3QN demonstrates real-time inference capabilities with low latency (~150ms per route) and adaptability to varying tourist preferences, offering a promising solution for sustainable tourism management in agricultural heritage systems.
Spatial-semantic interaction guided network for mapping Honghe Hani Rice Terraces via remote sensing
A novel spatial-semantic interaction-guided network (SSIGNet) achieves unprecedented accuracy in mapping the UNESCO-listed Honghe Hani Rice Terraces, with an intersection over union (IoU) score of 87.44%. This breakthrough addresses longstanding challenges posed by fragmented terrace morphology and complex boundaries, which have hindered precise remote sensing analysis. The SSIGNet integrates a spatial-semantic interaction fusion module (SSIFM) and a boundary guidance module (BGM), enabling high-resolution delineation of terraces across varying scales and morphological features. Outperforming nine other methods on the Yuanyang Terraces dataset, this approach offers critical technical support for heritage protection, ecological management, and agricultural sustainability in one of China's most iconic cultural landscapes.
Transformations of water governance and social authority in the Hani Rice Terraces
Sustainable governance of the UNESCO-listed Honghe Hani Rice Terraces hinges on integrating historical coordination rules with modern policy design, rather than reverting to traditional systems. The study reveals strong institutional continuity in water management and social authority across political regimes—from native chieftaincy to contemporary household responsibility systems—which has underpinned the terraces' resilience for centuries. While recent restoration efforts have improved biophysical conditions, fragmentation of social organizations and unequal access to resources have increased vulnerability. The research employs a topographic impact model linking terrain-driven water flows with governance nodes, using archival data, gazetteers, and policy documents to trace the evolution of irrigation networks and coordination mechanisms. Revitalizing collaborative institutions and clarifying multi-level rights can enhance long-term sustainability of this coupled human-water system.
An Integrated Water System: The Cultural Landscape of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces
The Cultural Landscape of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces, inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2013, serves as a model for sustainable development by integrating traditional farming, irrigation, and water management practices with the spiritual relationship of the Hani people to nature. This landscape exemplifies a comprehensive water management system that aligns with multiple United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation), SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities), SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production), and SDG 13 (climate action). The study highlights the resilience of this system in traditional farming practices, offering insights into conserving and recreating holistic water systems amid climate change challenges such as flooding and drought. It underscores the importance of safeguarding this cultural landscape against socioeconomic pressures while maintaining its ecological and cultural integrity.
Analysis of the conflicts between development preferences and spatial differences based on participatory mapping in the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces World Heritage Site, China
A study on the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces World Heritage Site reveals significant conflicts between development preferences and spatial differences among stakeholders, including local residents, tourists, and scholars. Using participatory mapping and semi-structured interviews, researchers identified diverse attitudes toward tourism development and landscape value, providing insights into the underlying mechanisms of land use conflicts in heritage protection. The findings highlight the importance of understanding stakeholder perspectives to balance human-environment interactions and ensure sustainable development at cultural landscape sites.
Balancing Hydrological Sustainability and Heritage Conservation: A Decadal Analysis of Water-Yield Dynamics in the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces
A decade-long decline in water yield, driven by cropland fragmentation and tourism growth, threatens the hydrological sustainability of the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces. Research using the InVEST model and geographic detector analysis revealed that while built-up areas exhibited the highest water yield (980 mm per unit in 2018), there was a significant 31% drop by 2020, with persistent-yield hotspots in forested central-eastern terraces. Land-use patterns accounted for 80–95% of yield variability, exacerbated by temperature interactions. Forests contributed 68.7 million m³ over the decade, underscoring their hydrological importance. The study advocates for reforestation in critical recharge zones, terrace restoration, and regulated tourism to balance water security with cultural heritage conservation.
Climate Adaptability Analysis of Traditional Dwellings in Mountain Terraced Areas: A Case Study of ‘Mushroom Houses’ in the Hani Terraces of Yunnan, China
Traditional Hani 'Mushroom Houses' in the Honghe Rice Terraces of Yunnan, China, demonstrate remarkable climate adaptability through passive design strategies that stabilize indoor environments despite high temperatures, humidity, and significant diurnal variations. A 30-year meteorological analysis revealed that building orientation (northwest-facing), multi-story zoning, thick walls, and thatched roofs play critical roles in regulating thermal comfort. Field measurements confirmed the effectiveness of natural ventilation and climate-buffering storage layers in maintaining stable conditions. The study provides empirical evidence for optimizing traditional dwellings to enhance insulation and ventilation, offering sustainable solutions for similar climatic regions.
Impacts of land use change on ecosystem service degradation within a traditional circular agroecosystem: a case study of the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces
Land use changes between 1990 and 2020 have significantly degraded ecosystem services within the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces. The study found that paddy rice areas shrank by 36.35 km² (24.83%), primarily converting to forest and cropland, which led to a decline in habitat quality despite a 16.61% increase in carbon storage. Soil retention and water yield services also decreased by 14.43% and 11.74%, respectively. Areas with high sensitivity to habitat degradation (32.71%) and geological hazards (38.82%) expanded, posing risks to the terrace system's resilience. Conversely, soil erosion-sensitive areas declined by 48.84%. The research used land use change mapping and ecosystem service evaluation models to assess these impacts, proposing pathways for optimizing and conserving traditional agroecosystem functions.
Optimization Study of Terrace Restoration Sampling Governance Model Based on Fuzzy Clustering Algorithm
A novel governance model for terrace restoration in the UNESCO-listed Honghe Hani Rice Terraces, China, demonstrates how fuzzy clustering algorithms (FCA) can optimize ecosystem management by analyzing farmer participation and trust in a 'four elements homogeneous' system. This approach reveals that the terraces' resilience to extreme drought—such as the once-in-a-century event studied—relies on the interplay of forest water retention, irrigation ditches, village governance, and terrace productivity. By comparing Hani farmers' trust in these ecosystem functions against tribal bonds, the study identifies key behavioral patterns that could empower autonomous management. The findings suggest a data-driven strategy to enhance sustainability in culturally significant landscapes.
World Heritage and/as placemaking: Learning from the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces in China
UNESCO's World Heritage Program not only designates sites for their Outstanding Universal Value but also shapes them into tourist attractions, revealing a complex interplay between heritage conservation and tourism. A study of the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces in China demonstrates that tourism is deeply embedded in the heritage-making process, influencing how heritage boundaries are defined and narratives constructed. Researchers propose an alternative model—'locate the idea of heritage – idealize heritage narrative – reproduce heritage narrative'—to analyze this process. The findings highlight that while UNESCO's designation aims to preserve cultural landscapes, it also involves strategic compromises to enhance accessibility and management, ensuring the site's continued relevance as a tourist destination.
A Dialogue between the Humanities and Social Sciences: Cultural Landscapes and Their Transformative Potential for Social Innovation
Cultural landscapes, such as the UNESCO-listed Honghe Hani Rice Terraces, hold significant potential for fostering social innovation in rural regions. This interdisciplinary study demonstrates how integrating landscape semantics and participatory methodologies can address critical challenges like out-migration, unemployment, and aging populations. The research introduces the Social Grid Model to analyze social networks, institutions, and cognitive frames, alongside the Structured Democratic Dialogue, which revitalizes both 'active' and 'inactive' cultural landscapes by empowering local communities. Through case studies in Greece (Koumasa) and China (Honghe Hani Rice Terraces), the study illustrates how collective action can promote tangible and intangible heritage, offering a blueprint for sustainable rural development.
An integrated mechanism and challenges of mountainous sustainable development: A review of Hani Terraces, China
Mountainous agricultural systems, which support 15% of the global population, face increasing sustainability challenges due to social transitions. The Honghe Hani Rice Terrace System (HHRTS) in China, a double world-level heritage site, demonstrates strong resilience despite these pressures. A comprehensive review reveals that its sustainability hinges on three interconnected dimensions: economic, environmental, and social stability. Economic sustainability relies on sufficient water and land resources alongside diverse employment opportunities, while environmental sustainability is maintained through balanced landscape structures, rich biodiversity, and ecological farming practices. Social stability depends on well-developed social systems, efficient management, and cultural guidance. Traditional knowledge and cultures play a pivotal role in preserving the terraced landscapes but are diminishing with industrialization and urbanization. The study proposes a dynamic evolution mechanism driven by economic and social factors, transitioning from agricultural to industrial societies based on the theory of planned behavior. It offers valuable local insights, experiences, and an analytical framework for reconstructing sustainable mountainous agricultural systems during socio-economic transformations.
Genetic Diversity and Association Mapping of Grain-Size Traits in Rice Landraces from the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces System in Yunnan Province
Researchers identified significant genetic markers linked to key grain-size traits in rice landraces from the UNESCO-listed Honghe Hani Rice Terraces, offering potential for crop improvement. Analyzing 96 landraces over multiple years using SSR markers, they found strong associations between specific genetic variants and traits like grain length, width, thickness, length-width ratio, and thousand-grain weight. These markers explained phenotypic variation ranging from 10% to 43%, with notable heritability (>70%) for these traits. The study also revealed two distinct genetic groups within the landraces, predominantly indica rice, highlighting the terraces' role as a reservoir of valuable genetic diversity.
Paddy Rice Phenological Mapping throughout 30-Years Satellite Images in the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces
Over the past three decades, the UNESCO-listed Honghe Hani Rice Terraces have experienced significant land-use changes, with 10.65% of paddy rice areas converting to forests, shrubs or grasslands, and other croplands. A study using a random forest classifier and phenological data from Google Earth Engine revealed that integrating multiple phenological periods improved mapping accuracy, enabling precise discrimination between paddy rice and other land covers during critical growth stages. The research highlights the impact of lower agricultural profits and drought on these changes, providing evidence for the shrinking rice terrace area in Southwest China.
Using a settlement connectivity‐based framework to map the farmland abandonment risk: A case study on the World Heritage of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces
A novel framework, FARBSC, effectively maps farmland abandonment risk using settlement connectivity and least-cost path modeling. Applied to the UNESCO-listed Honghe Hani Rice Terraces in China, it identified 13.5% of land as high-risk, with 43.3%, 36.7%, and 6.5% classified as weakly stable, stable, and highly stable zones respectively. This approach outperforms traditional methods like composite indicators or buffer zone analysis, offering a data-efficient solution for remote mountainous regions. The study demonstrates how landscape ecology principles can enhance agricultural sustainability in heritage sites.
A Modified Location-Weighted Landscape Index to Evaluate Nutrient Retention in Agricultural Wetlands: A Case Study of the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces World Heritage Site
A modified Location-Weighted Landscape Index (SLWLI) demonstrates high nutrient retention efficiency in the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces World Heritage Site, with sink landscapes accounting for 64% of the area and effectively retaining 72–86% of total nitrogen (TN) and 72–82% of total phosphorus (TP). Rice terraced fields, acting as composite source-sink landscapes, contribute significantly to nutrient regulation, reducing eutrophication risks. The vertical structure of the terraces further enhances their nutrient retention function. This study introduces SLWLI as a robust tool for assessing water quality in agricultural wetlands and identifying key areas for pollution control.
Heritage conservation and communities’ sense of deprivation in tourism: the case of the Hani community in Yunnan, China
Local Hani communities within China’s Honghe Hani Rice Terraces World Heritage Site report significant deprivation and reduced motivation for heritage conservation due to perceived de-empowerment and economic disparities, contrasting with non-local Hani residents who experience greater benefits and appreciation. This study highlights how tourism development can exacerbate social inequalities, leading local communities to resist imposed preservation responsibilities. The research employs qualitative methods to analyze community perceptions, revealing critical insights into the complex interplay between heritage conservation and social equity in sustainable tourism.
Mitigating risks of hybrid rice use in terrace agriculture
A critical threat to the UNESCO-listed Honghe Hani Rice Terraces—China's emblematic cultural landscape—has been identified: hybrid rice technologies, while improving water efficiency and livelihoods, may undermine the long-term sustainability of traditional terracing systems when combined with migration patterns. This study, conducted through expert-validated field observations, interviews, and literature reviews in a pioneering village, reveals that despite short-term benefits, these innovations risk destabilizing the ecological, social, and economic foundations of rice terrace agriculture. The authors propose an integrated resilience strategy to safeguard the terraces' longevity while advocating for broader research into hybrid rice systems in other terracing regions like the Philippines and Vietnam.
Relationship, Discourse and Construction: The Power Process and Environmental Impact of the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces as a World Heritage Site
Despite significant investments in conservation, the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces (HHRT) continue to experience unexpected degradation. This study reveals that unequal political and social power dynamics underlie this 'conservation paradox,' with power shifting among actors through relational networks and reshaping the natural environment via spatial planning decisions. Conservation discourse serves as a tool for establishing and exercising power, but spatial disparities in development opportunities lead residents to alter farming practices, threatening the site's sustainability. The research integrates political ecology frameworks to analyze actor networks, conservation narratives, and environmental impacts, offering insights into the complex interplay between heritage protection and local development.
Shifting Scales in the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces: Traditional Knowledge, Commodification and Community Participation
A critical approach to heritage management, focusing on the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces, reveals that 'upscaling' traditional knowledge and local interests can bridge conservation-development tensions. The study demonstrates how government-led tourism agendas often prioritize natural and selected cultural values over social ones, contrasting with local aspirations for improved living conditions. By analyzing scalar strategies in ethnic tourism development and cultural commodification, the research provides practical solutions to foster community participation and sustainable landscape management.
Valuation of Ecosystem Services for the Sustainable Development of Hani Terraces: A Rice–Fish–Duck Integrated Farming Model
A rice-fish-duck integrated farming model in the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces provides significant ecosystem services valued at 3.316 billion CNY annually. This symbiotic agro-ecological system delivers provisioning services worth 1.76 billion CNY, regulation and maintenance services at 1.32 billion CNY, and cultural services at 230.85 million CNY. The study developed a valuation model to assess these ecosystem services across eight groups and ten indicators, highlighting the model's potential for poverty alleviation and sustainable development in similar regions. This approach offers a blueprint for balancing environmental conservation with human well-being, serving as a theoretical reference for policymakers aiming to protect both natural resources and cultural heritage.
Yan Wang, Tourism, Heritage, and the Transformation of the World Heritage Site of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces
The inscription of the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces (HHRTs) as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013 significantly accelerated tourism development in China's remote Honghe County, transforming the landscape and local communities. This study reveals that while tourism and heritage systems are often intertwined, their combined impact has led to profound changes in the HHRTs, reshaping both the cultural landscape and the lives of its inhabitants. The research employs a mixed-methods approach, analyzing data from interviews, field observations, and archival records to examine the socio-cultural and environmental transformations since the early 1990s. Findings underscore the complex interplay between heritage designation, tourism growth, and local development, offering insights into the broader implications of UNESCO's World Heritage program.
Conceptual Framework for Key Element Identification in Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (IAHS): Case of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces System in China
A conceptual framework for identifying key elements (KE) in Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (IAHS) was successfully applied to the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces System (HHRTS), revealing six critical components: grain crops, rice species biodiversity, terrace construction and maintenance techniques, Hani traditional festivals, Hani traditional foods, and virgin forest. The study found that stakeholder groups—farmers, businessmen, tourists, officers, and researchers—prioritized these elements at different levels (micro, middle, macro), reflecting their distinct motivations and potential action strategies. This approach provides a theoretical basis for IAHS research and offers insights into balancing diverse stakeholder demands to enhance conservation management. The framework effectively addresses challenges like component element ambiguity and the obscurity of conservation boundaries in dynamic heritage systems.
Protecting Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (IAHS) by Industrial Integration Development (IID): Practices from China
Industrial Integration Development (IID) emerges as a highly effective strategy for conserving Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (IAHS), including UNESCO-recognized sites like the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces. The study demonstrates that IID, when grounded in ecological and cultural values, leverages local resource advantages, and integrates multi-stakeholder coordination, significantly enhances heritage preservation outcomes. Researchers analyzed four Chinese IAHS sites—Longji Terraces (Guangxi), Honghe Hani Rice Terraces System (Yunnan), Aohan Dryland Farming System (Inner Mongolia), and Huzhou Mulberry-dyke & Fish-pond System (Zhejiang)—to validate this approach. The findings underscore the necessity of aligning IID with site-specific characteristics while emphasizing policy synergy and stakeholder collaboration to sustain agricultural heritage systems amid development pressures.
Tourism Imaginary and Landscape at Heritage Site: A Case in Honghe Hani Rice Terraces, China
Research on the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces reveals a significant gap between tourist imaginaries of the landscape and its actual cultural context. Tourists often perceive the terraces as an isolated, stereotyped view, disconnected from broader landscape elements, while tourism infrastructure like viewing platforms and roads creates enclaves that marginalize local communities and threaten the site's integrity. The study used content analysis of social media, in-depth interviews with stakeholders, and participant observations to uncover how tourism strategies dominate the production of these imaginaries, leading to cultural conflicts. To mitigate these issues, the authors advocate for tourism planning that preserves landscape authenticity and empowers local communities.
Farmers’ landslide risk perceptions and willingness for restoration and conservation of world heritage site of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces, China
A study reveals that farmers in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces, China, while threatened by landslide risks due to personal experiences, show a strong desire for knowledge enhancement on restoration and conservation practices. Despite feeling vulnerable due to poor preparedness and inefficient disaster information, they exhibit high trust in authorities' decisions, indicating potential for collaborative efforts in safeguarding the terraces and sustaining tourism. The research, based on 125 in-person interviews conducted post-landslide event in June 2018, underscores the need for targeted training activities to foster conservation practices and community resilience.
From world heritage to an international living networks alliance
The Honghe Hani Rice Terraces, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (WHS), exemplify the transformative potential of collaborative international efforts. A pivotal conference, attended by the author, laid the groundwork for this recognition and established the International Alliance for Terraced Landscapes (ITLA). However, the study also highlights challenges posed by mass tourism, particularly in terms of accommodation in native villages, advocating for a 'Living Heritage' approach to balance conservation with sustainability. The research proposes a pragmatic model—'Living Networks Alliance'—to organize such international alliances effectively, offering a scalable framework applicable to broader global initiatives.
Heterogeneity of the rice microbial community of the Chinese centuries‐old Honghe Hani rice terraces system
A highly diverse microbial community is associated with the centuries-old Honghe Hani rice terraces system (HHRTS), where traditional landraces and introduced modern rice varieties exhibit distinct microbial compositions. Despite recent introductions of modern rice, which have exacerbated disease severity, the overall diversity of the HHRTS rice microbial community remains robust. Rice variety-specific genotypes significantly structure microbial community composition, accounting for 15%-22% of the variance, while the core microbial community represents less than 3.3% of all identified taxa. This suggests a mirroring of host and microbial diversity, though further research is needed to assess long-term sustainability impacts.
Indigenous Wellbeing and Enterprise
Indigenous tourism can both benefit and challenge Indigenous communities, affecting socio-economic status, political rights, and environmental sustainability. This study highlights successful entrepreneurial efforts within two Asian Indigenous communities that balance self-determination with external collaboration to conserve cultural heritage while responding to gentrification pressures from tourism. In the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces UNESCO World Heritage Site in China, local communities are engaging in tourism-related entrepreneurship, enhancing their capabilities and resources. Meanwhile, the Chi-mei community in Taiwan demonstrates how partnerships with national museums can foster economic growth and heritage conservation. These case studies illustrate pathways for Indigenous communities to achieve socio-economic development while preserving their cultural identity.
Locally situated rights and the ‘doing’ of responsibility for heritage conservation and tourism development at the cultural landscape of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces, China
A study at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces reveals that local villagers, particularly ethnic minorities, bear the primary responsibility for conserving the cultural landscape through traditional agricultural and religious practices, yet they face significant inequities in accessing tourism benefits and compensation. The research highlights how state-led conservation approaches, focused on material heritage and technical methods, often disregard the roles and needs of local residents, reinforcing unequal power dynamics. Conducted through participant observations and semi-structured interviews, this work underscores the tension between local rights and responsibilities in heritage management, emphasizing the need for more inclusive and equitable practices to sustain these landscapes for future generations.
Self-gentrification as a pro-active response to tourism development
Indigenous communities can proactively respond to tourism-driven gentrification by developing their own entrepreneurial ventures, a strategy termed 'self-gentrification.' This approach allows them to conserve cultural heritage while improving socio-economic status. The study examines two case studies: the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces UNESCO World Heritage Site in China and the Chi-mei community in Taiwan. Both demonstrate how Indigenous communities can leverage tourism opportunities without losing autonomy or cultural identity. The research highlights the potential of self-gentrification as a sustainable model for balancing development, heritage conservation, and Indigenous rights.
The role of self-gentrification in sustainable tourism: Indigenous entrepreneurship at Honghe Hani Rice Terraces World Heritage Site, China
Indigenous Hani and Yi communities at the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces UNESCO World Heritage Site face threats to their traditional rice cultivation practices due to gentrification driven by outsiders and state policies, coupled with high Indigenous migration rates. However, some Indigenous individuals are adopting entrepreneurial strategies learned from interactions with tourists and gentrifiers, improving their socio-economic status through a process termed 'self-gentrification.' This study introduces the concept of self-gentrification as a means to conserve heritage landscapes and Indigenous ways of life while mitigating the negative impacts of external gentrification. The research employs interviews and non-participant observations with inhabitants and newcomers to analyze these dynamics, offering potential solutions for sustainable tourism in World Heritage Sites.
The Change Mechanism of Human-Environment Interactions from the Perspective of Contextualization: A Case Study of the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces as a World Cultural Heritage Site
A new framework rooted in event ecology reveals that the drying of terraces at Honghe Hani Rice Terraces, often blamed on tourism-driven water overuse, is actually driven by reduced precipitation and deforestation. Local residents exaggerated tourism’s role due to social conflicts stemming from unequal access to tourism benefits. The study underscores the need for context-sensitive analysis—incorporating political, economic, and social factors—to objectively assess human-environment interactions and promote sustainable heritage management.
Values and Conservation of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces System as a GIAHS Site
The Honghe Hani Rice Terraces System (HHRTS), a 1300-year-old traditional agricultural system, demonstrates significant economic, ecological, aesthetic, cultural, and research values. Designated as both a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) in 2010 and a World Heritage Site in 2013, the HHRTS highlights unique features such as distinctive rice varieties, ecologically clean production systems, and sustainable water and soil management practices. While traditional farming methods face challenges like low efficiency and single-industry dependency, these constraints create ideal conditions for green agriculture, organic farming, and ecological food production due to the pristine farmland environment. The study proposes that protecting this system requires multi-faceted economic compensation strategies, including ecotourism development and policy coordination among governments, corporations, and local communities.
Hani Rice Terraces of Honghe - The Harmonious Landscape of Nature and Humans
The Honghe Hani Rice Terraces, a UNESCO World Heritage Site inscribed in 2013, represent a unique cultural landscape shaped by the Hani people's millennia-old rice farming traditions. This study reveals that the terraces' spectacular spatial structure—integrating forest, water, and village systems—is sustained by a harmonious blend of physical factors and deep-rooted cultural practices, including land-use management and spiritual values. The research highlights how this landscape, now a global attraction for scholars and tourists, faces challenges from modern tourism and development, raising critical questions about its long-term preservation.
Human-Environment System Boundaries: A Case Study of the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces as a World Heritage Cultural Landscape
A new methodology framework for demarcating boundaries of UNESCO World Heritage Cultural Landscapes was developed, using the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces (HHRT) as a case study. The research identified four types of boundaries—river basin, water-allocation organization, economic network, and perceptual—and integrated them to assess sustainability. Findings revealed that parts of HHRT's core boundary do not meet criteria for environmental sustainability, social justice, or the creation of new human-environment systems. This approach provides a holistic perspective for future administrative decisions in similar landscapes.
Terrace Agriculture of the Hani People – Cultural Heritage of the South-West China
The Cultural Landscape of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces, recognized by UNESCO in 2013, exemplifies the enduring integration of indigenous agricultural practices with natural landscapes. This study highlights how the Hani and Yi peoples have sustained terrace agriculture for over 1,300 years, preserving both cultural traditions and ecological balance. The research emphasizes the unique morphology of terraced slopes and ancient cultivation techniques that facilitate the growth of red rice, a staple crop in the region. These practices not only support sustainable agriculture but also contribute to erosion prevention and landslide mitigation. Additionally, the landscape's seasonal fluctuations and aesthetic appeal reflect a harmonious blend of human activity and natural beauty, symbolizing the ethnic minorities' way of life and associated ritual customs.
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