What is the history of Banaue Rice Terraces?

Banaue rice terraces, system of irrigated rice terraces in the mountains of north-central Luzon, Philippines, that were created more than 2,000 years ago by the Ifugao people. Although located in several villages, they are collectively known as the Banaue rice terraces.

Why the Ifugao built the rice terraces?

A: The Ifugaos built the rice terraces for many reasons but mostly to provide food for their families. When they built these thousands of years ago, they only had basic tools but the Ifugao managed to create an engineering marvel: rice terraces sustained by an elaborate irrigation system.

How many rice terraces are there in Ifugao?

It’s not just the Banaue Rice Terraces There are more than 48 rice terrace clusters but only five of them are included in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) list of World Heritage Sites.

How old are the Ifugao rice terraces?

2000 years ago
Built 2000 years ago and passed on from generation to generation, the Ifugao Rice Terraces represent an enduring illustration of an ancient civilization that surpassed various challenges and setbacks posed by modernization.

Where did the Banaue Rice Terraces come from?

2,000 years ago in the mountains of the Cordilleras, there lived an ethnic group called Ifugao or ‘i-pugo’ (i-from ‘people’ and pugo from ‘hill’) which literally means “people of the hill” or “earth people”. The ancestors of the Ifugaos were thought to have hand-carved the world renowned Banaue Rice Terraces in order to plant rice.

How old are the Ifugao Rice Terraces in the Philippines?

Built 2000 years ago and passed on from generation to generation, the Ifugao Rice Terraces represent an enduring illustration of an ancient civilization that surpassed various challenges and setbacks posed by modernization.

What do the Ifugaos do for Thanksgiving in Banaue?

Bakle – This is a post-harvest thanksgiving celebration in honor of their rice god “Bulol”. The Ifugaos prepare “binakle” rice cake and “baya” rice wine which is shared to everyone who is celebrating with them. In 2009, the Banaue Rice Terraces rice grains were declared as free from GMOs or Genetically Modified Organisms.

Where are the rice terraces in the Philippines?

The rice terraces are situated in the Cordilleras of Luzon island. The remote area—some 220 miles (350 km) from Manila—has long been home to the Ifugao, wet-rice agriculturalists who began building the terraces about the 1st century ce.