As a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) site and a World Cultural Heritage site, the Honghe Hani Rice Terrace System (HHRTS) in Yunnan is rich in biodiversity with important ecological, economic, and social values. There are more than 600 species of useful plants and hundreds of traditional rice varieties, which are integral to local agricultural practices, food security, and cultural activity. The local people have abundant traditional knowledge on utilizing these plants and managing terraces, such as edible and medicinal plants, the sacred mountains and forests, firewood collection, and water retention and diversion. The Hani people’s ecological wisdom, such as the “forest-village-terrace-water” system, demonstrates their sophisticated understanding of ecological processes, enabling sustainable land use and agrobiodiversity conservation over centuries. However, modern challenges, including urbanization, loss of traditional knowledge, and environmental pressures, threaten the stability of HHRTS. The rich traditional knowledge indicates the close human-land interaction on which the stability of agricultural heritage will depend. Understanding and maintaining the positive relationship between humans and nature is essential to promote the sustainable development of GIAHS like HHRTS.