Rice Terraces of Southeast Asia

Timeline

1. c. 1–200Highlands of northern Vietnam · VietnamAround the turn of the era, highland communities in Southeast Asia began building simple terraces on slopes, diverting mountain springs to irrigate rice, forming the earliest terraces, complementing rice farming in river valleys and plains.
2. c. 200–400Highlands of Luzon · LuzonTerrace techniques spread to the Philippines, Java, and the highlands of Laos; stone-built bunds and water-diversion systems improved, supporting larger-scale settlement and surplus grain production.
3. c. 400–500Highland agricultural zones of Southeast Asia · Southeast AsiaBy around the 5th century, terrace rice farming had become an important food source for Funan, Chenla, and the island kingdoms, forming, together with plain irrigation agriculture, the economic foundation of early Southeast Asian states.