[Rural Revitalization] "New Apprentices" in the Millennium Terraces

　　[Explanation] Before planting the rice seedlings, Lu Shixiong, a Hani villager, was busy working in his terraced fields.

Most of the brothers in the family live and work outside, and only return home to help when the farming is busy, so he takes care of the more than 10 acres of terraced fields in the family.

　　[Explanation] Yuanyang County, Yunnan Province, where Lu Shixiong is located, has more than 3,000-level Hani terraces with a history of thousands of years.

The Hani villagers have integrated the ideas of respecting nature, protecting the ecological environment, and living in harmony with nature into simple farming, and the Hani terraces have also been rated as "World Cultural Heritage."

　　[Explanation] The successful application for the heritage has increased the popularity of Hani terraces and promoted the development of local economy, culture and tourism.

However, in recent years, Lu Shixiong has new concerns.

　　[Concurrent] Villager Lu Shixiong

　　This terraced field is left to us by our ancestors. We cannot destroy it in our hands. We must continue to plant it.

Nowadays, young people pay attention to income, because the work (farming) at home is not enough to pay for their wages. Many people go out to work, and some may slowly (not planting).

　　[Explanation] Lu Shixiong's worries are not unreasonable. The modern lifestyle outside and the ability to obtain more economic benefits are hugely attractive to the villagers.

In Qingkou Village of Yuanyang County alone, there were 60 young people who went out to work all year round, and only those over the age of 50 were farming terraced fields.

　　[Explanation] In response to the dilemma of the outflow of agricultural population, Yuanyang County has established rice-fish-duck ecological three-dimensional agriculture in the Hani terraces, that is, rice, fish, and ducks are grown in the terraces at the same time.

The three are mutually beneficial and ultimately form an ecological win-win situation.

The entire planting and breeding process is green and pollution-free, increasing the income of villagers.

　　[Explanation] Recently, Lu Shixiong accepted a farming "new apprentice"-Luo Meifen, a Hani girl from the same village as the "post-90s" Hani.

She grew up listening to the story of terraced fields. She has always had a dream of returning to the fields. However, because she did not participate in farming when she went out to work in the early years, Luo Meifen was helpless in the face of her own terraced fields.

　　[Concurrent] Villager Luo Meifen

　　The biggest difficulty now is that I can't plow the fields. I don't know how to repair the ridges. I can't at all.

In any case, if I live outside for good or bad, I still return to my hometown, no matter how much income is, I will still take care of the terraced fields in my hometown.

　　[Explanation] Luo Meifen and her husband are currently working in a homestay in the village and have a fixed monthly income.

This is more affordable than specialized farming, but they don't want to lose the "vitality" of the terraced fields.

　　[Concurrent] Villager Luo Meifen

　　Go to see if there is any cave-in on rainy days, and release water when the weather is too dry.

Just like a child who is sick, keep going to see how it is in time.

Does it cave in, does it lack water, does it need me to remove the grass.

It's like taking care of children.

　　[Explanation] The terraced fields are the beauty in the eyes of tourists, and the "root" and "soul" in the hearts of Hani villagers.

Luo Meifen's family hopes to return to farming when there is not so much pressure in life, and talk about drinking.

Like the diligent farmer Lu Shixiong, they also have a love for terraces in their hearts.

　　Dao Zhinan Lu Mengni reports from Yuanyang, Yunnan

Editor in charge: [Li Ji]