Banaue Rice Terraces
The Banaue Rice Terraces are 2000-year old terraces that were carved into the mountains of Ifugao in the Philippines by ancestors of the Batad indigenous people. It is commonly thought that the terraces were built with minimal equipments, largely by hand. The terraces are located approximately 1500 meters (5000 feet) above sea level and cover 10,360 square kilometers (about 4000 square miles) of the mountainside. They are fed by an ancient irrigation system located from the rainforests above the mountains.
The Banaue terraces are part of the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras, ancient sprawling man-made structures dating from 2,000 to 6,000 years old. They are found in the provinces of Mountain Province and Ifugao, and are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Locals to this day still tend to the rice and vegetables on the terraces, although more and more younger Ifugaos do not find farming appealing, often opting for the more lucrative hospitality industry generated by the Rice Terraces. The result is the gradual erosion of the characteristic "steps", which need constant reconstruction and care.
External links
- Philippine Destinations: Banaue Rice Terraces
- UNESCO World Heritage Site List: Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras
- WOW Philippines: Ifugao: Is Famous For
 | World Heritage Sites in the Philippines | Error creating thumbnail: |
|---|---|---|
Banaue Rice Terraces | Baroque Churches of the Philippines | Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park |Tubbataha Reef Marine Park | Vigan |
Categories
Buildings and structures in the Philippines | Ifugao | Irrigation | Landmarks in the Philippines | World Heritage Sites in the Philippines