Yuanyang County, Yunnan
Script error: No such module "about". Script error: No such module "Settlement short description".Script error: No such module "Infobox".Template:Template otherScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".Script error: No such module "Check for conflicting parameters".Expression error: Unexpected < operator. Template:Infobox UNESCO World Heritage Site Yuanyang County (Template:Zh; Hani: Yeiqyaq) is located in Honghe Prefecture in southeastern Yunnan province, China, along the Red River. It is well known for its spectacular rice-paddy terracing.[1][2] In 2013, part of the county formed the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces World Heritage Site, the 45th World Heritage Site in China.
Overview
It covers an area of Script error: No such module "convert". and has a population of approximately 365,000 (2002), of which 88% belong to ethnic minorities and 95% is associated with agriculture. The majority of the inhabitants of the county are from the Hani ethnic group. The GDP of Yuanyang county in 2021 was 9,312 million Yuan.[3] The administrative seat of the county is the town of Nansha (a.k.a. New Yuanyang) down in the Red River valley at an elevation of 240 meters. It is situated Script error: No such module "convert". towards the north-east of the former administrative seat Xinjie (a.k.a. Old Yuanyang or just Yuanyang) to which it is connected by a Script error: No such module "convert". long twisting mountain road. To the south of Old Yuanyang, the town of Panzhihua is positioned near the top of another major valley of rice-terraces. There are a total of 928 settlements in Yuanyang county, 826 of them being inhabited by only one single ethnic group.[4]
The town of Old Yuanyang is a Hani minority settlement atop a ridge of the Ailao mountain range at an elevation of around 1570 metres. It is a popular destination with photographers due to the vast areas of nearby mountains which have been cultivated into terraced rice paddies for at least the past 1300 years by the Hani people. Despite its scenic and cultural attractions,Template:Fact mass tourism has not developed in this region, mainly due to its remote location, lack of a nearby airport and road conditions.Template:Fact
The terraced areas of interest to visitors are mainly found between 1000 and 2000 metres above sea level. The winter temperatures here, although never freezing, are such that they only support one rice crop a year. After the harvest, from mid-September till mid-November depending on the elevation, the terraces are filled with water until April, when planting begins.
The vast majority of the ethnic minority women in Yuanyang county still wear traditional clothes as their daily attire. The main ethnic group is the Hani who share the region with several other minorities such as the Yi and Miao. Market days in the villages tend to be very colourful when the different minority groups in the vicinity, each in their own traditional costume, come together to trade and socialise.
Administrative divisions
Yuanyang County currently has 3 towns and 11 townships.[5]
- 3 towns
- Nansha (Script error: No such module "Lang".)
- Xinjie (Script error: No such module "Lang".)
- Niujiaozhai (Script error: No such module "Lang".)
- 11 townships
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Geography
Yuanyang county lies at an altitude ranging from 140 along the Red River up to nearly 3000 metres above sea level in the Ailao mountains[4] and is situated about Script error: No such module "convert". north of the border with Vietnam.
The climate of Yuanyang county is mainly central sub-tropical monsoon with wet summers and dry winters. Average temperatures range from 26 Celsius down in the Red river valley to 4 Celsius in the upper reaches of the mountains.
The closest large towns to the west of Yuanyang county are Shiping and Yuanjiang. Gejiu is the major town to the north-east and also the capital of Honghe prefecture. Script error: No such module "convert". directly to the north of Yuanyang lies Jianshui, a small city with interesting monuments. A few hours to the south-east of Yuanyang is Luchun, another major Hani minority settlement turned modern city.
Due to recent highway construction, Old Yuanyang can now be reached in about seven hours by direct bus from Yunnan's capital Kunming, situated Script error: No such module "convert". to the north of the county, a trip which only a few years ago, would take 10 hours or more. Buses also connect Yuanyang with the town of Hekou and the border crossing with Vietnam (6 hours).
Climate
Yuanyang a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa). Adjacent to hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh), subtropical monsoon climate (Köppen Cwa) and tropical wet and dry climate (Köppen Aw). Script error: No such module "weather box".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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Ethnic groups
Vertical distribution of the various ethnic minority groups
The Hani and Yi, the creators of the monumental rice terraced mountains which have made Yuanyang famous, are the original inhabitants of these regions. Both their languages belong to the Tibeto-Burman group. Their villages can mainly be found between 1300 and 1600 metres above sea level.
The Dai moved here 700 years ago, and the Zhuang 400 years ago. Both their languages belong to the Tai–Kadai language group. Their villages are situated in the warmer areas below 700 metres elevation, near and along the rivers. Their main crop is rice grown in paddy fields.
The Miao and Yao (of the Hmong–Mien language group) are fairly recent arrivals to the region, only settling here 200 and 270 years ago. Their villages are in the cooler and drier upland areas, between 1600 and 1800 metres above sea level, where they grow maize.[4]
The Yuanyang County Gazetteer (1990:625, 633) lists the following ethnic groups and subgroups.
- Hani
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- Luomian Script error: No such module "Lang".
- Awu Script error: No such module "Lang".
- Haoni Script error: No such module "Lang".
- Guohong Script error: No such module "Lang".
- Duoni Script error: No such module "Lang".
- Baihong Script error: No such module "Lang".
- Asong Script error: No such module "Lang".
- Yi
- Miao
- Yao
- Zhuang
- Dai
Hani ethnic subgroups are located in the following townships of Yuanyang County.[6]
- Gouhouzhi Script error: No such module "Lang".: in Zhongjiaozhai Script error: No such module "Lang"., Shalatuo Script error: No such module "Lang"., Ezha Script error: No such module "Lang"., Majie Script error: No such module "Lang"., Huangcaoling Script error: No such module "Lang".; Malizhai Script error: No such module "Lang".; Guangpingzhai in Tuanjie Township Script error: No such module "Lang".
- Alou Script error: No such module "Lang".: in Duoyishu Script error: No such module "Lang"., Xinjie Script error: No such module "Lang".
- Loubi Script error: No such module "Lang". and Loumei Script error: No such module "Lang".: in Ganiang Script error: No such module "Lang"., Xincheng Script error: No such module "Lang"., Xinjie Script error: No such module "Lang"., Fengshuling Script error: No such module "Lang"., Daping Script error: No such module "Lang".
- Asu Script error: No such module "Lang".: in Zha'e Script error: No such module "Lang"., Huangcaoling Script error: No such module "Lang"., Huangmaoling Script error: No such module "Lang".
- Duoni Script error: No such module "Lang".: in Niujiaozhai Script error: No such module "Lang".; Zha'e Script error: No such module "Lang".
Transportation
There is no train or plane available in Yuanyang. Taking a long-distance bus is the best way to get to Yuanyang. Normally there are three buses travelling from Kunming to Yuanyang every day. The buses depart from Kunming South Bus Station and arrive at Yuanyang Bus Station which take about 6 hours. There are also buses travelling to Yuanyang from Gejiu, Mengzi, Jianshui. For tourists who would like to transfer from Jianshui, they could take a train from Kunming to Jianshu and then take a long-distance bus from Jianshui to Yuanyang.[7]
Gallery
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Part of the town of old Yuanyang
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Mist over Qingkou
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Sea of clouds surrounding Paozhuzhai
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A village as seen from Bada
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Aerial panorama from Bada
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Sunset over Laohuzui
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Hani village women of Yuanyang county, Yunnan, China
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Hani farmer on his way home
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An ethnic Hani girl with the typical headgear for children
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Typical daily attire of ethnic Hani
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Water buffalo dung drying on a wall in a Hani ethnic minority village in Yuanyang county
See also
Notes
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- ↑ Shimpei, Adachi (2007) "Agricultural Technologies of Terraced Rice Cultivation in the Ailao Mountains, Yunnan, China" Asian and African Area Studies 6(2): pp. 173-196 Template:Webarchive, a field survey conducted in Shalatuo Township of Yuanyang County (p. 176), accessed 22 January 2009
- ↑ Zhang Xiwen (2006) "Tourism - Yuanyang's Aesthetic and Bountiful Hani Terraces" China Today 55(2): pp. 64-68
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- ↑ "Yuanyang Travel" ChinaTour.net Accessed 2014-4-14
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Further reading
- Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".; a history of Yuanyang County in Chinese
External links
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