A travel approximately 20 hours by Land and Air from Beijing, you arrive to a picturesque county full of history and color. Yuanyang, Yunnan China

Monochrome

Color

Yuan Yang County, Yunnan China (元阳县) is located in Honghe Prefecture, Yunnan province, China. It is well known for its spectacular ricepaddy terracing. It covers an area of 2200 square kilometres and has a population of approximately 365,000 (2002), of which 88% belong to ethnic minorities and 95% is associated with agriculture. The majority of the inhabitants of the county are from the Hani ethnic group.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuanyang_County,_Yunnan

Rice Terraces are used in farming to cultivate sloped land. Graduated terrace steps are commonly used to farm on hilly or mountainous terrain. Terraced fields decrease erosion and surface runoff, and are effective for growing crops requiring much water, such as rice.