Agriculture in China

Agriculture in China developed through distinct northern millet and southern rice traditions, later joined by new crops, farming techniques, and state policies.

Peiligang culture: A Neolithic culture of the Yellow River region associated with millet cultivation and settled village life. Its sites preserve evidence of early northern Chinese farming.
Paddy field: A flooded or irrigated field used chiefly to grow rice. Paddy fields made intensive rice cultivation possible in much of southern China.
Rice cultivation in China: The cultivation of rice in China, especially in the humid southern and central regions. Rice became the defining crop of southern Chinese farming.
Grand Canal of China: A system of waterways connecting northern and southern China, developed over centuries to transport grain and goods. It moved southern agricultural surpluses to northern capitals and armies.
North China Plain: A broad, fertile lowland in northern China shaped by the Yellow River and its tributaries. Its dry climate and soils favored millet and wheat over paddy rice.
Cishan culture: A Neolithic culture in northern China known for early millet cultivation and grain storage. Cishan communities cultivated millet before farming spread widely across the north.
Terrace (agriculture): A level platform cut into a slope to create cultivable land and manage water runoff. Terracing extended farming onto China's steep southern hillsides.
Millet cultivation in China: The cultivation of foxtail and broomcorn millet in northern China and other dry regions. Millet formed the foundation of early northern agriculture.
China's population history: The history of population growth, decline, and distribution across China. Higher yields and new crops helped support major population expansions.
Yangtze River Delta: A densely populated, low-lying region where the Yangtze River meets the East China Sea. Its waterways and wet climate supported intensive rice farming unlike northern dryland systems.

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