Chongyi Hakka Terraces

Chongyi Hakka Terraces

The Chongyi Hakka Terraces are a national water conservancy scenic area.

The Chongyi Hakka Terraces are located in Chongyi, Jiangxi, and are part of the southern China rice terraces. Recognized by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for their unique land use system and agricultural landscape, the "Chongyi Hakka Terraces" were officially designated as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS).

On the morning of November 24, 2017, during the GIAHS expert group meeting held at the FAO headquarters in Rome, the Southern China Rice Terraces (including Longsheng Dragon’s Backbone Rice Terraces in Guangxi, Youxi Lianhe Rice Terraces in Fujian, Chongyi Hakka Terraces in Jiangxi, and Xinhua Ziquejie Rice Terraces in Hunan) received preliminary approval.

On the morning of November 24, 2017, during the GIAHS expert group meeting at the FAO headquarters in Rome, multiple global heritage project applications were reviewed. The Southern China Rice Terraces (including Longsheng Dragon’s Backbone Rice Terraces in Guangxi, Youxi Lianhe Rice Terraces in Fujian, Chongyi Hakka Terraces in Jiangxi, and Xinhua Ziquejie Rice Terraces in Hunan) received preliminary approval and only require final confirmation via email from experts to be officially designated.

At 23:02 Beijing time on November 23, 2017, the "Chongyi Hakka Terraces in Ganzhou, Jiangxi" were approved by the FAO in Rome and officially designated as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS). The official award ceremony is expected to take place at the fifth International Forum on GIAHS in April 2018.

The Chongyi Hakka Terraces are mainly distributed across three townships: Shangbao, Fengzhou, and Sishun, covering a total area of over 40,000 mu. The terraces range in elevation from a minimum of 280 meters to a maximum of 1,260 meters, with a vertical drop of nearly 1,000 meters and up to 62 terrace layers, earning them the title of "the 'Graceful Sky Ladder'—A Wonder of China’s Terraces." In 2012, they were certified by the Shanghai Great World Guinness as the "Largest Hakka Terraces." In December 2013 and May 2014, they were respectively recognized by the Ministry of Agriculture as "China’s Beautiful Farmland" and "China’s Important Agricultural Heritage."