Every morning in the Yuanyang Rice Terraces of Honghe, 67-year-old Lu Zhixiang carries his hoe and sickle to inspect the irrigation channels. Using the ancient “wood-carved water diversion” method passed down from his ancestors, he precisely allocates water to the terraces. Like him, there are 180 other “canal keepers,” known locally as the Gan Gou Ren.

The Yuanyang Terraces are a remarkable “triple heritage” site — a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site, a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System, and a World Irrigation Engineering Heritage Site. With their thousand-year-old farming wisdom, these humble villagers ensure that all 305 irrigation channels remain clear and flowing.