--FILE--Landscape of Yuanyang rice terraces in Yuanyang County, Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan province, China, 8 February 2014. Yuanyang rice terraces, located on the southern slopes of Ailao Mountain in Yuanyang County (part of Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture), are about 300km south of Kunming, the provincial capital of Yunnan province. One thousand years ago, in their struggle against the difficult terrain, the Hani peoples ancestors successfully crafted out terraces by their bare hands and grew rice in order to make a living. The landscape changes vividly through the year. The flooded paddies from December to April create mirror like pools. In summer, these paddies are luxuriantly green with growing rice stalks. After the fall harvest, the paddies become naked bare earth.
