阿者科，这个名字听着就像一首歌。它是哈尼族语，意思是“滑竹成林的地方”。村子藏在云南红河哈尼梯田深处，依哀牢山而建，山不高，但云雾缭绕，脚下是梯田千层，头顶是森林万亩，仿佛天地间的一个孤岛。蘑菇房错落着，从村头到村尾，一条蜿蜒的石路贯穿，石板上带着岁月的青苔，似乎每一块都能讲出个故事。
Azheke—the name itself sounds like a song. In the Hani language, it means "a place where bamboo grows thick." The village is nestled deep in the Honghe Hani rice terraces of Yunnan, perched on the slopes of the Ailao Mountains. The mountains are not particularly high, but they are shrouded in mist. Below the village lie layered terraces, and above it, expansive forests, as if the village were an island suspended between heaven and earth. Scattered across the village are mushroom-shaped houses, connected by a single winding stone path. Moss grows on the stones, hinting at stories hidden in every crevice.
村子并不大，面积不过1.43平方公里，住着481人，全是哈尼族。他们日出而作，日落而息，男人下田，女人织布，日子像流水一般平静。可是，那平静里你却能感受到一种深厚的力量，那是祖先留下的传统：敬天，敬地，敬山，敬水。
The village is small, covering just 1.43 square kilometers, with 481 residents, all of them Hani people. They rise with the sun and rest at sunset, the men working the fields, the women weaving at home. Their days flow by like water, quietly and steadily. Yet within this quietude lies a profound connection to tradition, a legacy left by their ancestors: reverence for the heavens, the earth, the mountains, and the water.
阿者科村的梯田是村民的命根子，也是他们的骄傲。从哀牢山上引来的水，在梯田间层层流淌，像一首古老的歌谣，唱了千百年。村子上有森林，下有梯田，这“森林—水系—梯田—村庄”的格局，构成了哈尼族人独有的生存智慧。水从高山流下，滋养了梯田，也养活了村子。村里的老人说，这水是神的赐予，谁也不能独占，大家靠着“刻木分水”的传统，按照田地的大小分配水量，从不争抢。
Azheke's terraced fields are the lifeblood of its people and their greatest pride. Water, drawn from the forests atop the Ailao Mountains, flows through these terraces, cascading down layer by layer like an ancient melody that has been sung for centuries. The village, with its forests above and terraces below, embodies the Hani people's unique agricultural wisdom. Water flows from the mountains, nourishing the terraces and sustaining life in the village. The elders say this water is a gift from the gods and must be shared fairly. The tradition of "wood-carved water allocation" ensures that water is distributed according to the size of each field, maintaining harmony and order.
阿者科的房子特别，叫“蘑菇房”。这样的房子是在土掌房的基础上改良来的，四坡顶，盖着茅草，墙是用土坯和石头砌成的。村子里有六十多栋蘑菇房，密密地挤在一起，像是从地里长出来的一样。房子的朝向是坐西北向东南，这和哈尼族的迁徙历史有关。尽管人们已经在这里扎了根，但心里还是向着北方，他们的祖先从北方一路迁徙而来，那是他们的根。
The houses in Azheke are unique—they are called "mushroom houses." These structures evolved from traditional earthen homes, with steeply sloped, thatched roofs designed to shed rain. The walls, built from a mixture of adobe and stone, give the houses a sturdy, earthy charm. There are over sixty mushroom houses in the village, clustered closely together, as if they had grown organically from the land. All the houses face southeast, a reflection of the Hani people's migratory history. Although they have settled here, their hearts still look to the north, the land of their ancestors.
村里的寨神林在村寨最高的地方，树木葱郁，阳光透不进来，这是一片神圣之地。老人说，寨神住在这里，保佑全村平安。村尾是磨秋场，那是人们祭祀和聚会的地方。村头连着森林，村尾连着梯田，这样的布局像是给村子画了一道框，框住了村民的生活，也框住了他们的信仰。
At the highest point in the village lies the sacred grove, a dense patch of forest where sunlight barely penetrates. This is where the village deity resides, watching over the people and ensuring their peace. At the opposite end of the village is the "autumn pole field," a gathering place for festivals and rituals. The sacred grove at the top connects to the highland forest above, while the autumn pole field below meets the terraced fields, creating a spatial rhythm that reflects the Hani people's spiritual and ecological balance.
阿者科的历史不算久远，最早的村落是在1855年建起来的。1920年，四户人家从别的地方搬到这里，开垦梯田，建起寨门。后来，村子一点点扩大，到2000年，基本形成了现在的模样。2013年，红河哈尼梯田成功列入世界文化遗产，阿者科也成了游客心中的世外桃源。2019年，它又被评为中国美丽休闲乡村，村民的日子一天比一天好。
Azheke's history is not particularly long. The earliest settlement dates back to 1855. In 1920, four families moved here, cleared the land, and built the village gate. Over time, the village grew, reaching its current form by the year 2000. In 2013, the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces were listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Azheke became known as a hidden paradise. In 2019, it was recognized as one of China's most beautiful and leisure-oriented villages, marking a turning point for its development.
但阿者科的美，不在那些荣誉上，而在它的原始与宁静。在这里，你能看到哈尼族人对自然的敬畏。他们相信万物有灵，梯田里有水神，山林里有山神，连家里的火塘，也有看护灶火的神灵。村子里的人不富裕，人均年收入不过三千元，但他们的生活却有一种富足感，那是从土地和信仰里流淌出来的。
But the true beauty of Azheke lies not in its accolades but in its simplicity and serenity. Here, you can witness the Hani people's deep respect for nature. They believe in the spirit of all things: water gods in the terraces, mountain gods in the forests, and even household gods in the hearth. The villagers are not wealthy—the average annual income is just 3,000 yuan—but their lives are rich with a sense of contentment, flowing from their connection to the land and their traditions.
站在村头，远处是梯田，近处是蘑菇房，脚下是石板路，耳边是村民的哈尼语。那语言陌生又柔和，像一首摇篮曲。村里的孩子在水井边玩水，老人坐在树下抽着旱烟，天边的云缓缓飘过。阿者科，就是这样一个地方，像是从画里走出来的，又像是从时光深处走过来的。
Standing at the village entrance, you see terraces stretching into the distance, mushroom houses nearby, stone paths underfoot, and the sound of the Hani language in your ears. The language is unfamiliar yet melodic, like a lullaby. Children play by the wells, elders sit under trees puffing on pipes, and clouds drift lazily across the sky. Azheke is such a place—one that seems to have stepped out of a painting or emerged from the depths of time.
云上阿者科，梯田成诗，蘑菇房成画，村民的日子成了一首歌。走进这里，你会明白，什么叫“人与自然的和谐”，也会明白，为什么世界上最美的风景，总是在那些最质朴的地方。
Cloud-covered Azheke: where terraces become poetry, mushroom houses become paintings, and the villagers' lives become a song. Here, you will understand the meaning of harmony between man and nature—and why the most beautiful landscapes in the world are often found in the simplest places.
