红河哈尼族是云南独有的世居民族。据《尚书》记载:早在春秋战国时期,哈尼族先民“和夷”已经开垦梯田。初唐时哈尼族在云南红河南岸哀牢山区定居下来并开垦大量梯田。从此梯田文化就成为整个哈尼族的灵魂。梯田要求平整,没有测量工具,哈尼族祖先们就用放水平田法解决。梯田从高向低随山势地形修建,因而形成大小不等,一片连一片,一山连一山,变幻多姿的大地上最美的雕塑景观。正如哈尼族学者——史军超教授描写的:在山腰向阳的地方,座座蘑菇房构成一个个村寨;每一个村寨的上方,必然会生长着茂密的森林,给村寨提供水、用材、薪炭之源; Honghe Hani is a unique native of Yunnan. According to “Shangshu” records: As early as the Spring and Autumn Period, Hani ancestors “and Yi ” have been cultivated terrace. In the early Tang Dynasty, the Hani nationality settled in Ailao Mountain, south bank of Yunnan Red River and reclaimed a large number of terraces. Since then, terraced culture has become the soul of the entire Hani. Terraces require smoothing, without measuring tools, Hani ancestors on the use of horizontal method to solve. Terraces from high to low with the mountain topography to build, thus forming the size of a piece, piece by piece, hill by piece, the most beautiful scenery of the earth on the changing scenery. As the Hani scholar - Professor Shi Junchao describes: In the sunny place on the mountainside, seat mushroom house constitutes a village; above each village, is bound to grow dense forests, to provide the village water, timber, firewood sources ;