Scenery of Yunhe rice terraces in Yunhe county of Lishui, Zhejiang province. [Photo/Tide News]

The Yunhe rice terraces in Yunhe county of Lishui, Zhejiang province, have been included in China's compulsory education geography textbook.

Described as resembling an ink painting, they are featured as a case study on hilly terrain development in the Grade 7 geography textbook, published in July 2024.

The terraces form the largest terrace cluster in East China with over 700 layers. Developed since the early Tang Dynasty (618-907), they cover 51 square kilometers.

Through ecological restoration projects, 4,500 mu (300 hectares) of degraded terrace wetlands have been revived, enhancing ecosystem stability. This effort earned the Yunhe rice terraces the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations' award for best practices and innovative approaches.

As a national 5A-level tourist attraction, Yunhe rice terraces combine tourism, photography, and cultural heritage. The terraces hold titles such as China Nationally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems site and National Wetland Park and were named one of China's 40 most beautiful spots by CNN.