Yunnan, China
Local villagers transplant rice seedlings to the terraced fields of Yuanyang, which are the world's largest, covering over 1000m of vertical terrain that has been carved from the hills. The Hani and Yi minority groups do all the work by hand in terraces that have been plowed and prepared by water buffalo. The area was designated a World Heritage site by UNESCO, to help preserve this ancient way of life. But the landscape is changing and now 10-20% of the terraces are dry and uncultivated, as young people choose more modern jobs instead of eking out a meager living with hard labor.
