Heritage for Rural Prosperity

As early as more than 1,200 years ago, farmers in Qingtian, a county in Zhejiang Province, began to raise fish in their paddy fields, forming a rice-fish agricultural system. In this system, the rice provides shelter and organic food for the fish while the fish can soften the soil, provide fertilizer, and eat pests and weeds. The system helps maintain the ecological balance of the fields, and facilitates a dual harvest of rice and fish.

A unique culture has grown out of the rice-fish system. For instance, these paddy field fish are used as dowries for local