Portrait of an LBX

The central government is trying everything to wipe out "backward" practices such as nomadism. Previously, we showcased the odd nomad-relocation developments we found in Qinghai. In Inner Mongolia, animals are not allowed to be set out to graze outside of certain, fenced-in areas. Hence, most cows are on leashes.

Mr. Song, a rice farmer, pauses from his work pulling densely planted rice stalks from a rice paddy where they have been growing for 45 days. The stalks will then be taken by motorcycle to the family's paddies elsewhere to be transplanted individually by hand and then harvested after another four months.

The Hani (哈尼族) may get all the credit for their rice terraces in Yuanyang (元陽縣), but the terraced mountains cover much of southern Yunnan and are farmed by Yi (彝族), Bulang (布朗族), Lahu (拉祜族) and Wa (佤族), among others. The leaves from the tea trees in the foreground will be turned into Pu'er (普洱茶), which stretches far beyond the county of Pu'er (普洱縣), from which the tea gets its name.

It's said that planting rice is some of the most "bitter" (苦) agricultural work there is. But for whom?