For hundreds of years, the rice fields of the Sapa have followed the contours of the mountains. They have helped create a landscape of great beauty and express the harmony between humankind and the natural environment.
The complex and extensive irrigation systems also reveal so much about people with a tremendous ability in resource management. With the onset of seasonal rains, the Hmong and Dao begin their annual re-engineering of the steep mountain slopes. They utilise gravity to alter the hydrology, creating rice paddies that harvest water from the forests. The outcome reflects a mastery of engineering.
Both aquaculture and agriculture align to produce a variety of foods that will sustain the growers for much of the year.
