Han Yin Fengyan Ancient Terraces

　　   The Han Yin Fengyan Ancient Terraces Ecological Museum is the first open-air ecological museum in northern China. It uses the natural landscape as its backdrop, ancient terraces as its exhibits, and local customs and folklore as its cultural setting to protect and showcase the traditional agricultural production methods.

　　   The Fengyan Ancient Terraces are located in Huanglong Village, Yanping Village, and Cigou Village of Xuanwo Town, Han Yin County, about 35 kilometers from the county seat. They include the Fengjiang Terraces and the Yanping Terraces, which are distributed along the mountains and rivers at altitudes between 500 and 650 meters, covering a total contiguous area of over 12,000 mu. The main crops grown are rice, rapeseed, and corn, with two harvests per year. The local residents are primarily descendants of the Wu family, who originally came from Shanhua County, Changsha Prefecture, Hunan Province. The terraces generally have around 300 levels, with each level varying in height from 0.3 to 1 meter and in width from 3 to 15 meters, and the longest stretches reaching over 600 meters. The irrigation system is well-developed, relying on the natural flow of water from four streams — Huanglonggou, Cigou, Lengshuigou, and Longwanggou — providing a continuous year-round water supply.

　　   Stretching for dozens of kilometers, the Fengyan Ancient Terraces embrace the mountain ridges layer upon layer, winding from the foot to the summit of the mountains. Some are as large as curved ponds, others as small as crescent moons, each with unique shapes and distinctive features. Fields are interconnected, rising and falling in elevation, stacking layer upon layer. Viewed from above, the graceful curves of the terraces run parallel or intersect, coiling like spring snails and towering like cloud pagodas, displaying a breathtaking beauty of lines. Nestled within vast forests and shrouded by endless sea of clouds, their flowing lines and grand scale form a magnificent yet delicate landscape.

　　   In 2010, the Fengyan Ancient Terraces were named one of the “Top Ten New Discoveries of the Third National Cultural Relics Survey in Shaanxi Province.”

　　   According to research, the ancient terraces in the Xuanwo Town area were built by the Wu family clan, who migrated from Shanhua County, Changsha Prefecture, Hunan Province, during the mid-Qing Dynasty. Construction began in the 21st year of the Qianlong reign during the Qing Dynasty (1756 AD), with large-scale development taking place during the Xianfeng and Tongzhi eras. It is currently the largest and best-preserved ancient terrace site from the Qing Dynasty discovered in the Qinba Mountain region. Integrating “mountains, water, fields, stockades, villages, houses, temples, and farming,” and blending “majesty, elegance, charm, freshness, and grandeur,” it is a grand masterpiece of harmony between humanity and nature.

　　   Transportation Guide

　　   Location: Within Xuanwo Town, Han Yin County, Ankang City, Shaanxi Province