Productive Urban Landscapes

Research and practice around the CPUL design concept

Valley with rice paddies in the foreground and mountains in the background. (source: National Agricultural Exhibition Centre & China Agricultural Museum 2019)

Rice-fish aquaculture systems, China

The symbiotic rice-fish aquaculture system is an agriculture landscape in Qingtian County, Longxian Village, Zhejiang Province, China, which was listed by the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations ) among the first five globally important agricultural heritage systems (GIAHS) in 2005.

Drawing of man feeding fish which live in water that the crops are being grown in. (source: National Agricultural Exhibition Centre & China Agricultural Museum 2019)

The aquaculture system today is based on ancient farming principles. (source: National Agricultural Exhibition Centre & China Agricultural Museum 2019)

The rice-fish farming, which could be traced back to 1200 years ago, builds a symbiotic relationship between fish and rice paddy. It is a sustainable system in which rice plants not only provide shelter for the fish but also organic vegetation and nutrients, while the fish waste and carbon dioxide produced by the fish are invaluable nutrition for the rice plants. Additionally, the fish will eat larvae and weeds that harm the crop which results in lower cost and farm labour. This ecological cycle greatly reduces the system’s dependence on external chemicals, and local biodiversity is increased.

View from higher up of a hill below which shows water pooled in terraced paddies. (source: National Agricultural Exhibition Centre & China Agricultural Museum 2019)

The rice-fish aquaculture system creates a terraced productive landscape. (source: National Agricultural Exhibition Centre & China Agricultural Museum 2019)

The village of Longxian currently has over 26.5 hectares of rice fields. The symbiotic rice-fish aquaculture system is not only protecting the environment and producing food, but also attracts tourists from all over the world adding benefits for local economic development. Da Silva, the Director-General of the FAO, praising the practice said: ‘Not only is the environment preserved and used in a sustainable way, but also it generates benefits for the local community’ (www.chinadaily.co.cn).

Men collect fish out of the rice paddy's water. (source: National Agriculture Exhibition Centre & Chinese Agriculture Museum 2022)

Fish grown in the rice paddies are collected to be sold. (source: National Agriculture Exhibition Centre & Chinese Agriculture Museum 2022)

 

+++ researched and written by our colleague Dong Chu +++

 

For further information see the website of the China Agricultural Museum.

Image: The Chinese symbiotic Rice-Fish Aquaculture System (source: National Agricultural Exhibition Centre & China Agricultural Museum 2019)

 

Back to previous page Related information and design projects

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
* aquaculture* food systems* landscapeChina

Dong Chu • 1st April 2017


Previous Post

Next Post

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published / Required fields are marked *