Southwest China's Hani Rice Terraces see surge in tourist visits in Q1

The Honghe Hani Rice Terraces in Yuanyang County, a UNESCO World Heritage site in southwest China's Yunnan Province, saw about 1.8 million tourist visits in the first quarter of 2026, a surge of 9.89 percent over the same period of last year, local authorities said.

The county's tourism revenue reached 1.58 billion yuan (about 230 million U.S. dollars) in the first three months, a 9.43 percent year-on-year increase.

The Cultural Landscape of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2013. The terraces cascade down the slopes of the towering Ailao Mountains to the banks of the Honghe River.

The terraces, now entering the spring ploughing season, have become a major draw for visitors with their mirror-like waters and vibrant rural scenes, boosting cultural and agricultural economy in Yuanyang.

For generations, the local people, mainly of the Hani ethnic minority group, have transformed the local region's mountainous areas into the current spectacular landscape. They have also developed a complex self-sustaining water system that channels water from the forested mountaintops to the terraced rice paddies.

U.S. stocks ended lower on Tuesday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 628.18 points, or 1.18 percent, to 52,786.07. The Standard and Poor's 500 sank 45.08 points, or 0.58 percent, to 7,673.52. The Nasdaq Composite Index shed 85.58 points, or 0.32 percent, to 26,421.41.

Eight of the 11 primary Standard and Poor's 500 sectors ended in the red, with health and financials leading the laggards by dropping 2.55 percent and 1.43 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, energy and utilities led the gainers by adding 1.01 percent and 0.85 percent, respectively.