Perched high in the Ailao Mountains of southwest China’s Yunnan Province, Azheke is a village surrounded by terraced fields and a sea of clouds. With just over sixty households, the village takes its name from the bamboo forests that once thrived here, a legacy preserved through generations. As one of the best preserved Hani settlements in China, Azheke has been home to the Hani people for over a thousand years.
<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-12/Yunnan-village-preserves-rich-Hani-ethnic-heritage-1w0kMppgZS8/img/d35337f4dc7d4a7b9b00a4fdb4fb8432/d35337f4dc7d4a7b9b00a4fdb4fb8432.jpeg'Houses are pictured in the village of Azheke in Yunnan Province. /CFP
<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-12/Yunnan-village-preserves-rich-Hani-ethnic-heritage-1w0kMppgZS8/img/d35337f4dc7d4a7b9b00a4fdb4fb8432/d35337f4dc7d4a7b9b00a4fdb4fb8432.jpeg'Houses are pictured in the village of Azheke in Yunnan Province. /CFP
The village is renowned for its distinctive mushroom-shaped houses, built with earthen walls and thatched roofs, creating a charming, multi-layered landscape. Situated at an elevation of over 1,800 meters, Azheke is often cloaked in mist, with terraced fields cascading gracefully down the mountainside, embodying a serene and natural beauty.
<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-12/Yunnan-village-preserves-rich-Hani-ethnic-heritage-1w0kMppgZS8/img/6d2892e0b83943c98f0e845c4764e734/6d2892e0b83943c98f0e845c4764e734.jpeg'Terraced fields are pictured in the village of Azheke in Yunnan Province. /CFP
<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-12/Yunnan-village-preserves-rich-Hani-ethnic-heritage-1w0kMppgZS8/img/6d2892e0b83943c98f0e845c4764e734/6d2892e0b83943c98f0e845c4764e734.jpeg'Terraced fields are pictured in the village of Azheke in Yunnan Province. /CFP
Besides being a traditional village, Azheke is also one of the five main villages of the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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