3D Tanbo art: Chinese famers grow extraordinary rice paddy art

In the north-eastern Laioning province of China, farmers used different colours and varieties of rice saplings in order to mimic the 3D effect.

People began to create rice paddy art in Japan in 90s, however the trend has become popular in China, when the wet-field cultivation method originated.

The Xibo farmers, an ethnic Chinese group, have an annual tradition of creating patterns on their rice paddy fields. This year, they have created vast 3D works of art, that are both eye catching and display of contemporary and traditional subjects. Knowing the growth patterns of each species of the crop, allowed farmers to form beautiful images of detailed scenes, animals and classic Chinese deities, months in advance. The designs are decided and sketched earlier. Thereafter, the rice is planted and it gradually emerges from the water-logged beds.

Breathtaking designs, by planting rice saplings in neat rows, creating 3D tanbo artworks that can only be viewed from elevated platforms installed between the fields. Each design is around 25 acres wide and takes months of planning before it springs to life. It is one of the largest canvases for rice paddy art in the world. Framers believe that making art also serves as a way of praying for blessings.

The fields are housed as part of a theme park in Shenyang city, which caters to weddings and camping trips for tourists.