The Multiple Values of Rice Terracing Systems and the Systematic Mechanisms in a Comparative Heritage Perspective

Abstract： ObjectiveIn view of the current situation that the world heritage with the main terraced field belongs to cultural landscape heritage, agricultural cultural heritage, irrigation engineering heritage and intangible cultural heritage, the connotation of related world heritage is clarified, and then the systematic mechanism of multiple heritage value of rice terrace system is discussed. Methods Through the analysis of the text connotation of different heritage systems, the multiple heritage values of rice terracing systems are discussed. This approach involves an in-depth understanding of the relevant heritage standards and an analysis of how these standards apply to specific heritage objects.Clarify the value of rice terracing systems in different heritage systems through comparative studies of specific cases. This includes a detailed comparison of different terracing systems (such as the Honghe Hani terracing in China, the Cordillera rice terracing in the Philippines, the Subak irrigation system in Indonesia, etc.), analysing their characteristics and values in terms of cultural landscape, agricultural cultural heritage, irrigation engineering heritage and intangible cultural heritage.Study the systematic composition and operation mechanism of rice terracing system, and explore how its multiple heritage values are generated and interact within the system. This includes the analysis of the natural subsystem, the terrace subsystem, the village subsystem, the irrigation subsystem and the conceptual subsystem, as well as the interrelations between these subsystems and the generation of the whole system.Using generative holism, the rice terracing system is regarded as a complex whole, and how its various components work together to form a highly self-consistent system is analyzed. This approach emphasizes the interconnectedness and integrity of the parts within the system.To explore the compound value characteristics of rice terracing system and analyze its diversity and unity. Results Through the official texts of different heritage systems, it is found that, in terms of the connotation of the text, the multiple heritage values of the rice terrace system originate from the universal standards of different heritage systems, facing the spatial overlap of specific objects. The rice terrace system has the attributes of cultural landscape, agricultural production, irrigation engineering, concepts and customs, so that different standards point to the same object.Among them, cultural landscape heritage not only has many types, large span and has universal significance, but also reflects the foundation in the level of occurrence. that is, as long as the livelihood mode of terraces based on the interaction between people and land exists, the agricultural system and irrigation projects will inevitably exist, but the opposite may not be true. Agricultural cultural heritage focuses on the main body of agricultural system, and irrigation engineering heritage focuses on engineering characteristics. Agricultural cultural heritage and irrigation engineering heritage are a new vision of a prominent value of cultural landscape heritage, so as to improve and deepen the understanding of the value of cultural landscape heritage, but this interpretation should not become the deconstruction of the overall value of cultural landscape heritage . Through the detailed comparison of different terrace system, such as China's Honghe hani terrace, the Philippines rich high rice terraces, summarizes the rice terrace system based on nature, terraces as the core, for the purpose of village, irrigation, concept for survival, among them, the natural, terraces, village "three levels", through the material system, non-material system and material system "two links", form highly consistent, indivisible complex system. ConclusionWith the concept of rice terrace system, this paper expounds the multiple value characteristics and system mechanism of the world heritage system with terrace as the main body. The main conclusions are as follows.1) There are extensive crossover and complex associations between different heritage systems, and the rice terrace system is a typical object with such crossover and correlation characteristics, thus becoming an important source of multiple values.2) As far as the concept of text is concerned, the multiple values of rice terrace system originate from the extensive internature between different heritage systems involved in this system, that is, the spatial overlap of different heritage standards facing the same object. The value of cultural landscape heritage is rooted in the human-land interaction with rice production mode, which has the basic nature and constitutes the comprehensive heritage; Agricultural cultural heritage, irrigation engineering heritage and intangible cultural heritage all emphasize the value of cultural landscape heritage in some aspect, which belongs to special heritage.3) In terms of the system mechanism, the multiple values of the rice terrace system originate from the composition and mutual relationship of the system. The rice terrace system consists of five subsystems with each dominant value: nature, terrace, village, irrigation and concept. Through the "three levels" of nature, terrace and village form a complex system and shows the overall value of both diversity and unity. In the future heritage protection system, the elaboration of extensive cross and multiple values will be an important trend. As the meeting point of multiple heritage systems, rice terracing system can contribute its own systemistic thinking to the value exchange of different heritage types. The rice terracing system is based on agriculture, which is facing unprecedented changes and challenges in contemporary times. This study failed to put forward the value of inheritance in the active utilization, protection and inheritance.