The Second “From Ziquejie Terraces To The World” Global Farming Culture Exchange and Mutual Learning Conference Held in Xinhua County, Hunan Province

LOUDI, China, Sept. 13, 2024 /Xinhua-AsiaNet/–

On September 12, the Second “From Ziquejie Terraces To The World” Global Farming Culture Exchange and Mutual Learning Conference was held in Xinhua County, Loudi City, central China’s Hunan Province.

The Second “From Ziquejie Terraces To The World” Global Farming Culture Exchange and Mutual Learning Conference held in Xinhua County, Hunan Province.

The Ziquejie Terraces are a globally significant agricultural and irrigation heritage site. Located on Ziquejie Mountain, the area is known for its rich vegetation, granite formations, and sandy loam soil, which has excellent water retention properties — ideal for terraced farming.

Over centuries, the ancestors of the Miao, Yao, Dong, and Han peoples skillfully adapted to the mountain’s terrain, creating intricate terraced fields. By utilizing the elevation differences in the mountain streams, they channeled water through hand-dug ditches along the slopes, enabling a progressive irrigation system that ensures the terraces remain fertile — resilient to droughts and stable during heavy rains. This agricultural ingenuity has sustained generations with an abundant rice harvest.

The conference attracted more than 200 attendees, including representatives from international organizations such as the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Officials in China from countries like France and Peru, known for their terraced landscapes, also attended alongside domestic and foreign experts in agriculture, culture, and tourism. The conference centered on key issues like preserving global agricultural heritage and advancing green agricultural economies. Participants explored strategies for protecting and passing down farming traditions, highlighting Hunan’s innovative approaches to preserving and utilizing agricultural heritage and offering China’s solutions for the global preservation of agricultural heritage.

During the opening ceremony, the World Consensus on the Integrated Development of Terrace Agriculture, Culture, and Tourism was unveiled. This consensus emphasized the importance of recognizing the value of terraced landscapes, protecting their ecosystems, preserving the farming culture of the terrace, and promoting the integration of agriculture, culture, and tourism. It also called for increased international exchanges and cooperation, and innovative development models. The conference adopted a “1+N” model, consisting of an opening ceremony, keynote speeches, and three thematic forums. These parallel forums focused on promoting the Ziquejie Terraces as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site, advancing the local homestay industry, and positioning Ziquejie as a world-class tourism destination.