Hunan's Daoxian rice farming culture system, Jingzhou Fuling (poria) cultivation system, Hunan mountain-grown vine tea culture system (Yongshun County, Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture and Yongding District, Zhangjiajie City), and Xinhua Huangjing (polygonatum cyrtonema Hua) cultivation system made the list.
With the newly-added ones, Hunan Province leads domestically in the number of the China-NIAHS sites, totaling 13 now.
 
The four systems newly inscribed this time span multiple categories such as rice farming, vine tea, and Chinese medicinal herbs. They include the material evidence for the civilization of rice farming that originates over ten thousand years ago, alongside under-forest cultivation, traditional processing methods, and tea customs and rituals passed down for thousands of years, showcasing profound heritage and living inheritance of Hunan's farming civilization.

The Daoxian rice farming culture system is known as "the world's source of rice." At the Yuchanyan site, archaeologists have unearthed rice specimens dating back to about 12,000 years ago and primitive pottery shards dating from about 14,000 years ago, and the site is recognized by the archaeological community as the world's origin of rice farming civilization. In recent years, Daoxian County has advanced the construction of rice farming culture parks, industrial parks, and museums, bringing new life to the ancient rice farming culture.
  
Jingzhou Miao and Dong Autonomous County is known as the "Hometown of Fuling (poria) in China." Fuling cultivation culture has been passed down for over a thousand years. At present, 70% of China's fresh Fuling is gathered and distributed from here annually, with the entire industrial chain output value exceeding 8.1 billion CNY. The small Fuling has developed into a major industry that brings fortune to the local people.
  
The Hunan mountain-grown vine tea culture system was jointly nominated by Xiangxi's Yongshun County and Zhangjiajie's Yongding District. Vine tea utilization in these two regions can be traced back to more than 600 years ago, spanning medicinal use and Tusi (local chieftain) tribute tea, to commercial goods and intangible cultural heritage skills. A distinctive mountain-grown tea culture has taken shape.
  
Xinhua County is China's "Hometown of Huangjing (polygonatum cyrtonema Hua)." Huangjing cultivation here can be traced back over a thousand years. At present, there are 136,000 mu (over 9,071 hectares) of Huangjing plantations across the county, with a comprehensive output value of 3.4 billion CNY. Huangjing has become a "golden industry" for Xinhua's rural revitalization.
  
The China-NIAHS selection aims to promote the protection and inheritance of China's fine traditional farming culture and empower comprehensive rural revitalization. Hunan boasts a long-standing farming civilization and attaches great importance to the protection and inheritance of agricultural cultural heritage. Since 2024, the provincial government has allocated 200,000 CNY annually from its fiscal budget for each agricultural cultural heritage item. Adhering to the principle of protecting while excavating and inheriting through utilization, Hunan has carried out systematic protection, promoting creative transformation and innovative development of excellent farming culture, turning "dormant" assets into boosters for rural revitalization.

This article is from Hunan Provincial Government. www.enghunan.gov.cn. 

Translator: Pang Yuehui 

Chinese source: hunan.gov.vn