The Banaue Rice Terraces are 2000-year old terraces that were carved into the mountains of Ifugao in the Philippines by ancestors of the Batad indigenous people. The Rice Terraces are commonly referred to by Filipinos as the "Eighth Wonder of the World" It is the only man made wonder that is sculpted from earth. In 1995, Banaue Rice terraces has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Not only the famous rice terraces, but also the indigenous people with their still traditional way of living, are main destinations for tourists when they make a trip through the island.
This spectacular creation has been built mostly by hand and minimal only with the use of equipments which shows Ifugaos great craftsmanship and creativity.The indigenous mountain people are still living and working as it was in the past. It is composed of rice fields to provide themselves a source of livelihood in the highlands. The location of Banaue rice terraces is 1, 500 meters or 5, 000 feet above sea level and it covers 10, 630 square kilometers about 4, 000 square miles of teh mountainside.
The rice culture of the Ifugao people requires tremendous skill and knowledge that has been passed on from generation to generation. Recent challenges, including a devastating earthquake in 1990 that damaged the terraces, and recent El Niños that have spawned droughts and crop-threatening worms, have threatened the continued existence of the Banaue rice terraces. Farming the terraces has become less and less attractive to the new generation of Ifugao people.
This spectacular creation has been built mostly by hand and minimal only with the use of equipments which shows Ifugaos great craftsmanship and creativity.The indigenous mountain people are still living and working as it was in the past. It is composed of rice fields to provide themselves a source of livelihood in the highlands. The location of Banaue rice terraces is 1, 500 meters or 5, 000 feet above sea level and it covers 10, 630 square kilometers about 4, 000 square miles of teh mountainside.
The rice culture of the Ifugao people requires tremendous skill and knowledge that has been passed on from generation to generation. Recent challenges, including a devastating earthquake in 1990 that damaged the terraces, and recent El Niños that have spawned droughts and crop-threatening worms, have threatened the continued existence of the Banaue rice terraces. Farming the terraces has become less and less attractive to the new generation of Ifugao people.
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