Tourists take photos at a renovated tea shop that used to be an old private school in Kenggen village of Yunhe, Zhejiang province, last month. YU HAIYOU/FOR CHINA DAILY

From mushrooms to money

In the early 2000s, mushroom farming was the economic backbone of Chongtou township, home to the terraces. At its peak around 2007, the local fresh mushroom market was the largest in southwestern Zhejiang, handling more than 100 metric tons a day. But the industry collapsed as production moved to cheaper, flatter regions in central and western China, leaving nearly two-thirds of the terraces to lie abandoned.

"Twenty years ago, Yunhe's terraces were extremely poor," said Du Ye, deputy director of the county's agriculture and rural affairs bureau. "People lived off farming. No one thought tourists would ever come. But as the environment improved and roads widened, farmers gradually saw opportunities. Some opened farm stays and homestays on their own."

The government encouraged the move with subsidies for new beds and guest rooms, along with a star-rating system, Du added. Today, some 200 boutique homestays dot the terraces, each earning on average over 200,000 yuan a year. Some owners are outsiders drawn by the scenery.

Around 2010, local authorities began restoring the terraces' core areas to boost tourism. In 2021, Yunhe invested 27 million yuan to revive the surrounding wetlands. So far, 300 hectares — roughly 400 soccer pitches — have been restored.

Zhang Xia, director of the county's natural resources and planning bureau, said the work was painstaking. "The terraces have a 1,000-meter altitude span and 1,000 layers. Machinery cannot enter," she said."We used traditional techniques to repair the ridges, cleared blocked canals, and restored the water system. The old and new terraces are seamless."

Liao Jingsheng, an official at the same bureau, said 6,693 cubic meters of ridges have been repaired, 16,600 meters of field paths have been restored, 19,800 meters of irrigation canals have been fixed, and 13 soil erosion sites have been treated.

"We promoted integrated farming — rice with fish, rice with snails, and medicinal herb rotation over 300 mu (20 hectares)," Liao said."That means double the income from the same field."