BN FAVE: RICE NEVER LOOKED MORE BEAUTIFUL

CHINESE TERRACED RICE PADDIES

Who knew rice could be so beautiful?

While we’ve grown more hyper-aware of beauty in food, as it’s prepared and plated, and we’ve come to appreciate the beauty of food produced by farmers who care, we are increasingly awestruck at the incredible beauty that some growers create with their land and their process.

French photographer Thierry Bornier, who specializes in Chinese landscapes, became fascinated by the Yuanyang rice paddies in Yunnan province, in southern China. He spent the past 2 years taking a series of spectacular photos of them.

These paddies consist of as many as 3,000 terraces that are carved into the sides of hills, sitting at elevations up to 6,500 feet, using a complex series of ditches and canals to move rainfall and spring water to where it is needed.

Developed over 1,300 years ago by the native Hani people, the terraces form intricate abstract patterns of organic shapes. The water, collecting in each boundary, reflects the sky, in a myriad of colors. Their exceptional beauty and historical significance is recognized by a UNESCO World Heritage Site designation.

The paddies only yield one crop per year, so they are crucial to the Hani’s survival and way of life. The best time to see the magnificent terraced rice fields is during February and March, when villagers water the terraces in preparation for ploughing. 

Bornier’s photos look like aerial shots, but instead, they are taken from from high vantage points in early morning and evening hours, when colored light hypes the algae in the terraced pools and accentuates the beauty of their reflections. Clouds and fog can add even more drama. 

Bornier has no formal training in photography. Before he began his photography career in 2008, he was the Chief Financial Officer for Lacoste in Shanghai. Beyond his amazing landscapes, check out his very cool fashion photography.

He has been published in National Geographic, and has won several photography competitions, including One Eyeland and Epson International Pano Awards.

See more of his photography on his website.

Read more about Beautiful Favorites, as it relates to Arts/Design, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Place/Time, Mind/Body, and Soul/Impact including BN FAVE: Beautiful Humans & Beasts Share Magical Tender Moments Now and BN FAVE: Ancient Trees Embrace Ancient Stars Now.

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IMAGE CREDITS:

1. Image: by Thierry Bornier. God's Palette.
2. Image: by Thierry Bornier. Story in the Terraces.
3. Image: by Thierry Bornier. Yuan Yang.
4. Image: by Thierry Bornier. Terrace in the Myst.
5. Image: by Thierry Bornier. Mosaic of Colors.
6. Image: by Thierry Bornier. Long Ji Terrace.
7. Image: by Thierry Bornier. Land of Mist.
8. Image: by Thierry Bornier. Puzzle.
9. Image: by Thierry Bornier. The Village.
10. Image: by Thierry Bornier. Rice Field.
11. Image: by Thierry Bornier. Lost Heaven.
12. Image: by BN App - Download now!
13. Image: by Thierry Bornier. Panoramic on the Terraces.