Yuanyang
Nestled amidst the Ailao Mountains of southeastern Yunnan is Yuanyang county, home to the Hani people as well as acres of superlative rice terraces. The centuries old rice terraces attest to a land stewardship ethic that is integral to Hani culture. Few people in the world have so amazingly shaped the earth around them in the way the Hani have along the steep facades of the Ailao Mountains. Their unique terrace system allows the plentiful rainfall of southern Yunnan to filter down the mountain side from terrace to terrace, amply filling each rice paddy to capacity. After food shortages during the late 1950s and early 1960s, the Chinese government recognized and commended the Hani for their remarkable rice output.
Yuanyang is an unusual town set high up a mountain amidst the clouds. The town is entirely comprised of Hani and Yi minorities. Market day in Yuanyang is not to be missed, as locals from surrounding villages make the long trek into town to sell and trade goods and wares. Yuanyang’s strong local flavor and its close proximity to the border with Vietnam lends it a unique feeling.
