The History of Long Xian Village

Why is there fish in the water here? Why is there a fish pond in front of every house here? Why are there no mosquitoes in all seasons? Why do people here treat fish as poultry? Here why plow oxen do not use rope ...... a lot of mystery, for the small mountain village added a mysterious color.

In recent years, the dragon now the village carefully designed to launch a number of special tourism projects, such as dancing fish lanterns, rice-planting, feeding the fish, wrapping dumplings, grinding tofu, plowing and cultivating fields, fishing competitions and so on. These tourism projects are close to life, creative and participatory, which are both fresh and interesting for city people, and can be done both with hands and mouth, so that they y feel the pleasure of labor, which is an endless enjoyment.

Chinese field fish village (dragon now village) is located in the southeast of Qingtian County, Fangshan Township territory, from the Chinese stone carving city - about 7 kilometers from the mouth of the mountain, backed by the Qiyun Mountain and Ruian City, Fangzhuang Township, Ouhai Zeya Township, is one of the birthplaces of the culture of Qingtian Overseas Koreans, according to legend, there was a real dragon in the area appeared to show that there is an auspicious omen, so it is named "In 1999, it was awarded the title of "Chinese Fish Village" by the Ministry of Agriculture, and in 2005, the village's rice-field fish farming was identified by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) as a project for the protection of the world's agricultural cultural heritage (equivalent to the world's cultural heritage).

On June 11, officials and experts from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) drove a long way from Hangzhou to Qingtian to participate in the listing ceremony of one of the first batch of globally important agricultural heritages -- the "rice-fish***growth" system project. QINGTIAN LONGXIN VILLAGE, this remote mountain village in southern Zhejiang Province, because of its unique and harmonious farming culture, attracted the attention of the world - the evening of June 11, in the small town of QINGTIAN County in southern Zhejiang Province, a small square, from the FAO Center for World Important Agricultural Heritage Systems, Dr. Mona (Mona), watched with great interest a Folk art performance - a group of children dressed in traditional Chinese costumes holding brightly colored, beautifully shaped Qingtian fish lanterns weaving, jumping. The fish lantern dance is simple, beautiful and rich in local characteristics.

Mr. Mona clapped his hands in excitement as he watched. He may not realize that it is Qingtian's long history of 1200 years of fish farming that has given birth to the splendid fish culture. The protagonist of the evening was naturally not Mr. Mona, but he had another more important task - on behalf of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), he awarded the "Globally Important Agricultural Cultural Heritage Protection Project - Rice-fish ****growing System" to the Qingtian County Government. Rice and Fish **** Production System" to the Qingtian County Government on behalf of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The project was initiated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Global Compact (GC).

As one of the world's first and Asia's only "Globally Important Agricultural Cultural Heritage" projects, the "rice-fish farming" in Long Xian Village in Qingtian has made a lot of experts who have traveled to this remote village puzzled. Is in Qingtian local, many people in the joy at the same time, also think that this "heavenly delight" came a little suddenly. In fact, Qingtian paddy fish farming has a history of more than 1200 years. The earliest origin of farmers using stream irrigation, stream water in the natural growth of fish in the rice paddies, after a long period of domestication, the formation of a natural rice-fish **** born system. Qing Guangxu "Qingtian County Records" has recorded "Qingtian field fish": "field fish, red, black, barge several colors, the natives in the rice paddies and pike pools in the raising of the". Since the reform and opening up, Qingtian implementation of "a thousand pounds of food and a hundred pounds of fish" rice paddy fish farming experiments, ecological and social benefits are obvious. 2000, the relevant issues are listed in the Ministry of Agriculture as the National Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Harvest Program, and was awarded by the provincial government, "the township of the field carp. 1999, the village of Longcheng by the National Maritime Administration of the People's Republic of China. In 1999, Long Xian Village was awarded "China's field fish village" by the State Oceanic Administration.

The field surface planting rice, water body fish, fish manure fertilizer field, fish and rice **** birth, fish food **** survival - this year's Dragon Boat Festival, Qingtian County, Fangshan Township, Long now the village villagers Yang Minkang and his wife, Wu Lizhen, a little hectic. After a hasty breakfast, Wu Lizhen came to the village entrance, and watch the villagers waiting for a group of guests, including United Nations officials, Beijing experts. Long now the village of "rice-fish farming" was evaluated on the "Global Agricultural Cultural Heritage", a few days ago, the village specifically rushed to the entrance of the village to build a stone monument meaning "rice and fish harmony **** life", with the village of Mr. Fei Xiaotong in 1999, the village of the village of "rice-fish harmony **** life". The village entrance Mr. Fei Xiaotong in 1999 inscribed "China's field fish village" mirror.

As a local "overseas Chinese village", although the village of 765 people, more than 650 overseas Chinese residing in more than 50 countries and regions, but in such a way to become famous around the world, but a lot of villagers surprised, not to mention do not know what it means. Wu Lizhen is different, as the village's largest field fish farmers, although the cultural level is not high, a few days ago in Hangzhou, held an academic conference, Wu Lizhen at the meeting, but the "rice paddy fish" before and after the speech again. Although not accustomed to such a big scene, but Wu Lizhen understand a little - generations of field fish, this time let the village of Long now famous.

Unlike his wife, Yang Minkang is a stranger to the words "global heritage" and "United Nations". As an honest farmer, he is most familiar with the more than 10 acres of rice paddies he has planted. Walking along the countryside, he was like a different person when he talked about fish: "Fish are usually released at the end of February, when the water temperature in the field is above 10 degrees Celsius, the field is sterilized with quicklime, and then fish fry washed with salt water are put into the field. To release the fry in the early morning or late afternoon, the water temperature is too high at noon."

Before releasing the fish, Yang Minkang first stacks the ridges high, usually 50-60 centimeters above the rice paddies. Then he puts in his wife's fish-blocking fence made of bamboo gabions and branches to prevent the fry from swimming away. The fish are also fed with wheat, rice bran and other farm feed every day. Yang Minkang is most afraid of heavy rain, and the paddy fields must be drained in time to prevent flooding of the ridges. In his spare time, Yang also went to the mountains to pick up some camphor twigs, pine branches, soak them in the rice paddies, used to prevent parasites on the body of the fish. Every September before and after the rice harvest, the fish stocked that year can grow into about 250 grams of adult fish.

Walking on the concrete ridges, I saw fish stirring in the paddy fields from time to time. Lao Yang said the fish are looking for something to eat, and keep turning the soil, just like cows plowing, to promote the absorption of fertilizer by rice, which can be done without manual plowing.

The field surface planting rice, the water body fish, fish manure fertilizer field, fish rice *** birth, fish food *** storage. Qingtian County Agricultural Bureau of the relevant person's explanation more "scientific": usually there are many weeds in the paddy field and rice will compete for fertilizer, water, space, at least two times a year to weed the field. After the release of field fish, weeds are eaten by field fish, and now there is no need to weed throughout the year. The rice grains also provide shade and food for the fish, and the fish eat ineffective tillers and harmful insects such as ticks, increasing field ventilation and significantly reducing pests and diseases. Precisely because rice-fish farming can buy less fertilizer and pesticides, do not have to weed the field, save labor, reduce expenses, a mu field can save labor wages, fertilizers, pesticides and other costs more than 300 yuan.

The biggest benefit of rice-fish farming for Yang Minkang and his fellow villagers is summarized by experts as "four increases" and "four sections". "Four" is to increase food, fish, water, income. The "four sections" are land saving, fertilizer saving, labor saving, cost saving. Speaking of income, Lao Yang fingers to calculate an account: a mu of paddy rice production of 580 kilograms of rice, 63 kilograms of fish, the total income of about 3,000 yuan per mu. Last year, his family's 10 mu paddy field produced more than 5,800 kilograms of paddy, 630 kilograms of fresh fish, income of more than 30,000 yuan.

The paddy fish can also be processed into dried paddy fish, and two kilograms of live fish can be roasted into 0.5 kilograms of dried paddy fish. Lao Yang and his wife now bake almost every day and sell every month, 0.5 kilograms of dried fish can be sold for more than 70 yuan! The fresh fish produced by his own family is not enough and he has to go to other villages to buy them. Last year, his family baked more than 1,000 kilograms of dried field fish and earned more than 40,000 yuan. There are eighteen streams of Longtan in Longxian Village, and the streams bend to take the whole village into their arms. There are two water pools with an area of 100 square meters in the whole village, and more than a dozen with an area of more than 30 square meters. Ancient pines match by the pools, stone bridges cross them, and as far as the eye can see, the well-preserved ancient houses of more than 300 years form a poetic picture with the lush green mountains.

Long now the village has more than 700 years of history of fish farming in the rice paddies, in front of the village, behind the houses, in the fields, wherever there is water, whether rice paddies, canals, ditches, pools, can be seen everywhere floating colorful fish. "All ponds have fish, and when there is water, there are fish fry." Therefore, there is a custom in the village that villagers marry their daughters with field fish (fish seed) as dowry.

"The mountains surround the Long Valley, and green water surrounds the pavilion at the mouth of the village." Mr. Leung Lok Fai from the United Nations University visited Long Xian Village for the first time and "felt very shocked". In his eyes, "rice and fish **** life", a farming method that has been preserved intact until now, is in itself "ingenious", and its harmonious integration with the unique natural and cultural landscape of Longcheng Village has fascinated him even more.

"It was the right thing to do," he said. Also charmed was Dr. Mona. Although he had already read the materials related to the declaration of Longcheng Village as a globally important agricultural cultural heritage, a field trip to Longcheng Village made him feel more solid. According to Dr. Mona, Longcheng Village is an example of the harmonious relationship between human beings and nature at a higher level. This, in turn, coincides with the UN's original intention to protect globally important heritage.

David, another UN official in charge of the project, kept taking pictures. Speaking of the village, he used more graphic language: in the context of globalization, more and more biological and cultural diversity is disappearing, the reason why we need to protect them, not only because they are beautiful, but also sustainable, as each of our pensions. It brings tangible benefits to farmers, but also a sense of spiritual and cultural belonging and environmental benefits.

China is an ancient agricultural country and a big agricultural country. The "rice-fish **** living system" represents Asia among the global agricultural cultural heritage, which makes Chinese agricultural experts more emotional.

"We don't want to be in the Treasure Mountain and not know the treasure," said Li Liqiu, deputy director of the Agricultural Technology Extension Center of the Ministry of Agriculture, adding that this is an affirmation of the traditional mode of farming and a re-discovery of the significance of this type of farming. It helps us to promote the development of the same model, after all, "rice paddy fish farming" this farming method in China's East China, Southwest China and other regions are widely used. At the same time, it also reminds us to pay more attention to the sustainable development of rural ecology and resources while ensuring food security and increasing farmers' incomes.

"Shun the time of heaven, measure the geographical advantage, exert less effort and succeed more." Professor Wang Siming of the Institute of Chinese Civilization at Nanjing Agricultural University believes that Chinese culture is concerned about the harmonious concept of "heaven and earth, people and crops", "rice and fish **** life, and as one" is not only an important part of China's traditional farming culture, but also the world's cultural heritage is rich in characteristics. It is a representative of the world's cultural heritage, and its unique value deserves attention.

Walking on the ridge of Longxian Village, facing the green rice seedlings and colorful carp swimming in them, Min Qingwen, a researcher at the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Resources of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, expressed his deep feelings. He believes that "rice-fish farming" is a comprehensive manifestation of biodiversity, production diversity and cultural diversity, and a perfect manifestation of the synergistic evolution and dynamic suitability of the rural society and the specific natural environment, which has the role of providing an example of regional sustainable development. He further emphasized that the most important thing to protect this important agricultural cultural heritage is to protect the natural and human environment for the continuation of agricultural culture.

"Heritage bidding" is a topic of great interest across China these days. Although globally important agricultural heritage is conceptually equivalent to world cultural heritage, Mr. Leung Lok Fai of the United Nations University (UNU) believes that the biggest difference between the two is that the former is a kind of "dynamic conservation" in which farmers are involved. Consideration of benefits should not be limited to economic benefits, but also ecological and cultural values. In this way, the interests of farmers can be "**** life" with the heritage.

It is reported that, in order to make "rice-fish farming" this unique traditional agricultural technology to better protect and inheritance, the Chinese Academy of Sciences is preparing for the agricultural natural and cultural heritage research center, "rice-fish farming" will be included in the first batch of research projects to give support.

Qingtian "rice fish **** life" carries a heavy history and agricultural cultural deposits, it belongs to Qingtian, more belong to the world. As the host of the Qingtian County Party Secretary Lu Chunzhong in the excitement at the same time, more in thinking about another problem, how to carefully take care of this ancestor left behind "treasure". He revealed at the award ceremony, Qingtian will develop a detailed protection plan, set up a special agricultural heritage protection committee, the implementation of the appropriate funding, and mobilize the relevant professional organizations and farmers, so that it gives new life and vitality.

And Yang Minkang's family is most concerned about whether the field fish can be sold at a good price in the future. Maybe they still can't understand the experts' theories, but on a deeper level, they are connected.