Milan World Expo blows up the whirlwind of China's agricultural cultural heritage

Over the past few days, the exhibition of China's Global important Agricultural Cultural Heritage (GIAHS) has attracted wide attention at the 2015 Milan World Expo. The melodious song of the Dong nationality in Guizhou and the dancing fish and lantern dance in Qingtian, Zhejiang Province have become a touch of light in the activities of the China Pavilion at the World Expo in Milan. "Hanoi Song" from the Hani rice terrace system in Honghe, Yunnan Province has become the only resident performance selected by the Chinese Pavilion during the World Expo.

The theme of the 2015 Milan World Expo is "nourishing the Earth, the Source of Life", mainly around the two major areas of agriculture and food safety, exploring the harmonious coexistence of human beings and nature, how to provide adequate, high-quality, healthy and sustainable food security for the world. The theme of the China National Pavilion is "the Field of Hope, the Source of Life", which systematically demonstrates the sustainable concept and traditional culture of "the unity of man and nature" in agriculture.

The theme of this World Expo is highly consistent with the concept of the Global Agricultural Cultural Heritage Initiative launched by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The GIAHS project aims to promote the dynamic conservation and adaptive management of agricultural cultural heritage and the biodiversity, beautiful landscapes, traditional knowledge and culture it contains, and to promote global food security, sustainable agricultural development and the increase of farmers' income. As of May 2015, FAO had selected 32 GIAHS items in 14 countries. China is one of the important participants in GIAHS. Since 2005, the Ministry of Agriculture has promoted 11 excellent Chinese traditional agricultural systems, such as "Zhejiang Qingtian Rice Fish Symbiosis system" and "Guizhou Congjiang Rice Fish Duck system", to be selected into the GIAHS, and initiated the identification and protection of national important agricultural cultural heritage (NIAHS). The project has produced good social, health and economic benefits in China, and FAO has repeatedly praised China as the "leader" in the protection of agricultural cultural heritage.

The agricultural cultural heritage publicity and exhibition activity of China Pavilion Japan was entrusted by the Department of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Agriculture and organized by the International Exchange Service Center of the Ministry of Agriculture. It has received strong support from the Guizhou Provincial Agricultural Commission, the people's Government of Congjiang County, the people's Government of Qingtian County, and the General Association of overseas Chinese in Venice, Italy.