Acta Agriculturae Zhejiangensis ›› 2025, Vol. 37 ›› Issue (2): 493-506.DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1004-1524.20240281

• Agricultural Economy and Development • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Distribution characteristics and value assessment of agricultural heritage systems in Zhejiang Province, China

GU Xingguo1,2(), FANG Qiaokun3,*()   

  1. 1. Institute of Rural Development, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
    2. Key Laboratory of Creative Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Hangzhou 310021, China
    3. Zhejiang Provincial Rural Revitalization Advisory Committee, Hangzhou 310020, China
  • Received:2024-03-25 Online:2025-02-25 Published:2025-03-20
  • Contact: FANG Qiaokun

Abstract:

Zhejiang Province is the earliest province to carry out the excavation and protection of agricultural heritage systems in China, and it is also the province with the largest number of agricultural heritage systems resources excavated and Important Agricultural Heritage Systems recognized. Based on the results of the latest census of agricultural heritage systems in Zhejiang Province, the distribution characteristics of their historical origins, topographical and geomorphological distribution characteristics and industrial types were comprehensively analyzed, and their economic, social, cultural, ecological and scientific and technological values were systematically assessed. In terms of historical origin, the agricultural heritage systems originated in the Song Dynasty is the largest, followed by the Tang Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty. Topographically, the majority of the agricultural heritage systems are located in plain and hilly areas, as well as the coastal areas. In terms of industrial types, the main industries of agricultural heritage systems are mainly focused on planting and compound industry. 85.4% of the agricultural heritage systems involves the ten leading agricultural industries in Zhejiang, and the total output value of the relevant agricultural industry chain reaches 199.567 billion yuan, which is a strong driving force for the agricultural and rural development in Zhejiang. The agricultural heritage systems sites are rich in resources of the “Origin Culture”, such as the origin of agricultural technology, varieties and cultural sources, which is an important support for Zhejiang to build a high-quality cultural highland in the new era. The industrial composite agricultural heritage systems are the typical representative of the traditional agricultural wisdom in the context of site-specific conditions, intensive cultivation, planting and raising, and benign recycling, which is very rich in traditional agricultural wisdom, and provides an important guideline and inspiration for the all-round construction of a highly efficient and ecological agricultural powerhouse in Zhejiang.

Key words: agricultural heritage systems, temporal and spatial distribution, value evaluation, Origin Culture, Zhejiang Province

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