The “Cultural Landscape of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces”: New Identities and Continuation of a Cultural Landscape

The “Cultural LandscapeCultural landscape of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces”, ChinaChina, has been first analysed through a literature reviewLiterature review to understand the current state of this World Heritage SiteWorld Heritage Site. Second, qualitative, semi-structured, and remote interviews with nineteen scholars have been carried out to complete the site-specific survey. The combination of the above has revealed both the permanencePermanences of the landscape in terms of structure and characteristics, and the various drivers of changeChanges. Among the latter, major topics such as depopulationDepopulation, abandonment of rural villagesRural villages abandonment and rice terraces, migrationMigration and newcomersNewcomers, new cropsNew crops or new techniques/methods of rice cultivation, integrity and authenticity in the component and buffer area emerged and pertain to this UNESCO rice landscapeRice landscape. They are helpful in understanding the nature and extent of these modifications that are affecting the overall image of this productive landscapeProductive landscape seven years after its inscription on the World Heritage List, with the aim of ensuring its long-term continuation.