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Banaue Rice Terraces

Posted on March 3, 2009 - Filed Under Travel Destination

When one talks of man-made structures and wonders, the first thing that comes to our minds are engineering feats and architectural marvels. Most people would think that these are buildings and structures. But, there’s one engineering marvel that, despite the lack of architectural plans and massive engineering tools, stands majestically. Such a place exists in Paradise Philippines. This place, which can be likened to stairways to the skies, goes by the name Banaue Rice Terraces of Ifugao.

The Rice Terraces can be found at the Ifugao Province of the Paradise Philippines. Similar man-made structures can be found at the provinces of Apayao, Benguet, and the Mountain Province. All of these places are in the northern part of Luzon.

These rice terraces is considered as the “Eight Wonder of the World”, and are 2000 years old. Banaue Rice Terraces are carved manually on the mountains of Ifugao – yes, the ancient Ifugao people built it using only their bare hands. These rice fields are fed through an ancient irrigation system from the rainforests located above the terraces. These strutures were made by the ancient Ifugao as a means of providing themselves a source of food and livelihood in the mountains. However, constant care is needed to preserve the beauty and grandeur of these places, hence the Banaue Rice Terraces were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List of Sites.

The Banaue Rice Terraces offers more than just breathaking scenes and awesome structures. It is a proof of the ingeneuity of the Ifugao people who lived here and made the terraces with their bare hands.

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