Yellow River's loess plateau has probably the world's most uneven landform. Only some rocky terrains would be more uneven. Extensive labor must be devoted in leveling the field before it can be used for farming. Here we illustrate the popular methods in improving the land for farming purposes.
1. Terracing the slopes. Terracing is exercised more often in China than anywhere else in the world. Terrace fields can be seen north and south of China -- the result of an expanding population, when more and more ofthe marginal land must be reclaimed for farming purpose. Terracing is not as successful in the Yellow River basin as in the South where the climate is more favorable for agriculture, as the terrace fields are entirely rainfed.

At Changwu, Shaanxi, the community centers aroundthe tableland, on the top of the plateau, and the terrace fields are developed from the top down. Some tableland has a slope to it, as in Qianxian,Shaanxi, and must be terraced. Zichang, Shaanxi is located north of Yanan. It is named after revolutionary marytr Xie Zichang in 1937. Its gullies are 200 m deep. Steep slopes may be used for planting fruit trees by adding fish-scale pits, as in Yulin,Shaanxi.

2. Utilizing the gullies. To prevent the undercutting of the gullies, barriers are added to slow down flood runoffs, as it is done here in Wanquan,Hebei for tiny gullies. For most gullies, silt arresters are constructed to trap not only flood water but also eroded soil, as it is shown here in Yangyuan, Hebei. Check dam is used at Ansai,Shaanxi to retain major floods. Here the reservoir is partially filled with sediment, and can be used for cultivating once the flood water is drained. Another view of a reservoir formed out of a check dam as is the case here at Suide, Shaanxi. In more densely populated areas, the gullies are built up in steps with warping dams as in Hancheng,Shaanxi, which is located by the Yellow River, and at Yuzhong,Gansu.

3. Cultivating the valleys. For some reason, Hengshan,Shaanxi's valley floor is well-irrigated, which is always a mystery to me. It also has a beautiful reservoir. Totally eroded regions are left which broad valleys, which are being built up by sluicing silt coming down with flood water, as in Jingbian,Shaanxi. Yulin, Shaanxi is like an oasis in the desert.

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