Hani Rice Terraces inscribed on World Heritage List

PHNOM PENH -- The UNESCO's World Heritage Committee inscribed China's cultural landscape of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces onto the prestigious World Heritage List on Saturday, bringing the total number of World Heritage Sites in China to 45.

The inscription decision was made during the 37th session of the World Heritage Committee.

"In the name of the entire committee, I would like to extend congratulations to China for the inscription of the beautiful site of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces on the World Heritage List," Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sok An, chairman of the session, said during the meeting after the site was listed.

Tong Mingkang, deputy director of China's State Administration of Cultural Heritage, thanked the 21-member World Heritage Committee for inscribing the site on the List and vowed to provide the best conservation for this site.

"Hani people will take today as their honey day," he said during the session.

He said with the iconic beauty of the landscape, the site is the product of the particular way of farming, together with the unique tradition and religion behind.

China's State Administration of Cultural Heritage nominated the Hani Terraces for the inscription on March 28, 2008.

The deep mountains-hidden cultural heritage site is located in Yuanyang County in Honghe Prefecture, Southeastern Yunnan province of China.

According to the UNESCO's document, as a property of cultural landscape, the property is comprised of the forest at the hilltop, the stockaded villages below the forest, the terraced fields below the villages and the Honghe water system below the terraced fields.

The reservation zone of Honghe Hani Terraced Fields Property covers 13,190 hectares and has a buffer zone of 14,810 hectares.