On the Ar Horqin Grassland, where north China’s farming areas meet its grasslands, herders maintain the ancient and traditional nomadic customs that have existed there for thousands of years. They live in harmony with nature, ensuring both their own livelihood and ecological sustainability.
In May, the Ar Horqin Grassland Nomadic System was designated as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
On May 22, which also marked International Day for Biological Diversity, the FAO awarded certificates at its headquarters in Rome, Italy, to 24 new GIAHS sites. They are located in 12 countries, including China—home to four new sites. These new sites were the first to be recognized by the FAO since 2018.
Many of the GIAHS had become “reservoirs of biological diversity,” FAO Director General Qu Dongyu said at the
