Unearthed in Li County of Central China's Hunan Province, these relics of ancient rice, currently collected in the Hunan Archeology Institute, were planted during the Neolithic age, proving that China was one of the earliest countries to grow rice in the world, with a history of at least 8,000 years.

Boasting one of the world's most glaring agricultural civilizations, China's agriculture began in the remote antiquity when there was still no written history.

In one of the ancient Chinese legends, there is a story of Shen Nong Shi (also known as the Red Emperor or Yan Emperor) concerning the origin of agriculture. Before Shen Nong Shi, people ate reptiles, little animals, mussels, and wild vegetables. As the population gradually increased, food gradually became more insufficient, thereby creating a desperate need to explore new means of food.

Shen Nong Shi tasted all kinds of herbals, even poison, to finally select the grains that could be eaten by people. Later, he also studied the climate and invented some farm tools, which resulted the appearance of husbandry in China.

While the legend leaves behind some clues about when agriculture originated in China, modern archeology has provided more abundant and reliable materials about the origin and the condition of Chinese agriculture. So far, there have been thousands of discoveries of agricultural sites during the Neolithic age all across China, especially along the Yellow River (Huanghe) and Yangtze River. Chinese agriculture can be traced back to about 10,000 years ago, and the primitive agriculture was very advanced about seven or eight thousand years ago.

There are three major centers where agriculture first appeared worldwide: West Asia, Central and South America, and East Asia (mainly referring to China). With its own characteristics, Chinese agriculture also established its own system. Of all the advantages China had for centuries over the rest of the world, one of the greatest may have been the ability to sustain its large and growing population through agricultural technology. With only about 10 percent of China's land is suitable for agriculture, so farming efficiency has been a concern as population increases.

Page:

1

2

3

All rights reserved. Reproduction of text for non-commercial purposes is permitted provided that both the source and author are acknowledged and a notifying email is sent to us.