Respondingtothedifficultiesandopportunitiesoftheirenvironmentcharacteristicofhighmountains,narrowvalleyscrisscrossedbyravines,extremelyhighrainfallandsub-tropicalvalleyclimate,theHanipeoplehavecreatedsuchanextraordinarilycomplexsystemofirrigatedriceterracesthatflowaroundthecontoursofthemountains.
Thepropertyextendsacrossanareaofsome1,000squarekm.Threeareasofterraces,Bada,DuoyishuandLaohuzui,reflectdifferingunderlyinggeologicalcharacteristics.ThegradientoftheterracesinBadaisgentle,inDouyishusteeper,andinLaohuzuiverysteep.
Thelandscapereflectsanintegratedfourfoldsystemofforests,watersupply,terracesandhouses.Themountaintopforestsarethelifebloodoftheterracesincapturingandsustainingthewaterneededfortheirrigation.
Theterracesaretheexceptionalreflectionofaresilientlandmanagementsystemthatoptimizessocialandenvironmentalresources,demonstrateanextraordinaryharmonybetweenpeopleandtheirenvironmentinspiritual,ecologicalandvisualterms,andarebasedonaspiritualrespectfornatureandrespectforboththeindividualandthecommunity,throughasystemofdualinterdependenceknownasthe鈥淢anGodUnitysocialsystem.鈥漇iteofXanadu
XanaduSiteislocatedinagrasslandcapitalcharacteristicofculturalfusion,witnessingclashesandmutualassimilationbetweenthenomadicandagrariancivilizationsinnorthAsia.SituatedonthesoutheastedgeoftheMongolianPlateau,itwasthefirstcapital(1263-73)ofKublaiKhanandlaterthesummercapital(1274-1364)oftheYuanDynasty(1271-1368).Thecitysiteandassociatedtombsarelocatedonthegrasslandsteppewithanorth-southaxisdeterminedbytraditionalChinesefengshuiprinciples,backedbymountainstothenorthandarivertothesouth.
ThelayoutofXanadu,withpalaceandimperialcitiesenclosedpartlybytheoutercitycontainingevidenceofthenomadicencampmentsandroyalhuntingenclosure,comprisesauniqueexampleofthisculturalfusion.
ThelocationandenvironmentoftheSiteofXanaduexhibitsinfluencefrombothMongolianandHanChinesevaluesandlifestyles.Thecitysiteexhibitsanurbanplanningpatternindicativeofintegrationofthetwoethnicities.ItisalsoexceptionaltestimonytothesupremeruleoftheYuanconquerorKublaiKhan,theassimilationandconversiontothecultureandpoliticalsystemoftheconquered,andthedeterminationandeffortoftheconquerorinadheringtoandmaintainingtheoriginalculturaltraditions.
TIPSBadaandLaohuzuiaregoodspotsforphotographingsunset;Duoyishuisagoodspotforphotographingsunrise.
Hanispecialethniccuisineishighlyrecommended.
INFOListedastheWorldCulturalHeritagein2013
Location:
YuanyangCounty,YunnanProvince,southwestChina
BestTimetoVisit:FebruaryINFOListedastheWorldCulturalHeritagein2012
Location:XilingolLeague,InnerMongoliaAutonomousRegion,northChina
BestTimetoVisit:Summerandautumn
TipsWearcomfortableshoesasthereisalotofwalking.Leathercrafts,paintingsanddairyproductsarelocalspecialties.RespectlocalMongoliancustoms.