Jatiluwih Rice Terraces
What's special about some Balinese rice fields, or Jatiluwih Rice Terraces? Let's find out about their importance with the 7 top facts I have listed below.
1. Rice is Bali's staple food and has very strong ties to the Balinese culture itself.
For example, the rice's growth cycle largely sets the tone for a great deal of traditional Balinese life. The Balinese community sees rice as a present from God as well as a symbol of life.
2. For thousands of years, the Balinese people have been very active in both growing and cultivating the lovely rice terraces of Bali, and where three types of rice are grown, including white rice, red rice, and black rice. But white rice is by far the most common one and the red variety is much rarer and costs more.
3. What makes the Balinese rice terraces quite unique is the Subak irrigation system.
In fact, this system has even earned a UNESCO World Heritage Site status. Moreover, the Subak system is a fine and worthy manifestation of the Tri Hita Karana philosophy which is an integral part of the Balinese culture. This philosophy comprises three principals: harmony among people, harmony with nature, and harmony with God.
4. The members of the Subak handle the water supply in order to ensure that there is more than plenty of water for rice and other important crops, which in turn contributes to the community's welfare. Actually, it's a highly efficient method for managing rice crops.
5. The Subak system comprises weirs and canals by which water from springs flows through some of Bali's Water Temples, eventually reaching the rice fields. Because of the social and democratic factors of the Subak system, between 50 to 400 individuals represent different Balinese communities to jointly facilitate that the water indeed flows in Bali.
6. The ancient system has largely helped shape Bali's landscape for 1000s of years. And that's why anywhere you go, you'll observe very healthy rice crops.
7. Today, the majority of the agricultural lands continue to be farmed in a sustainable manner by local communities, of course, with the support of the Subak system.
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