--- title: China Daily - TIME - Partner Content - Rice terrace wakeboarding makes waves description: Rice terrace wakeboarding makes waves canonical: https://time.com/branded-content/china-daily/rice-terrace-wakeboarding-makes-waves/ article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2026-07-29T20:42:12.831Z article:modified_time: 2026-07-29T20:42:06.608Z article:section: Paid Partner Content og:title: China Daily - TIME - Partner Content - Rice terrace wakeboarding makes waves og:description: Rice terrace wakeboarding makes waves og:url: https://time.com/branded-content/china-daily/rice-terrace-wakeboarding-makes-waves/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3649e0a0e7d624e7/6a6a63dafac3493720432b4e/7._Rice_terrace_wakeboarding_makes_waves.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1575 og:image:height: 886 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: China Daily - TIME - Partner Content - Rice terrace wakeboarding makes waves twitter:description: Rice terrace wakeboarding makes waves twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3649e0a0e7d624e7/6a6a63dafac3493720432b4e/7._Rice_terrace_wakeboarding_makes_waves.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Rice terrace wakeboarding makes waves > Sponsored content. 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Subscriptions are at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### What is included in a TIME print and digital subscription? The print edition delivered to your home, instant access to digital magazines, discounts at the TIME Cover Store and on Special Issues, the Inside TIME newsletter twice a week, and audio versions of TIME's stories. It is from $29 for one year or $49 for two years at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### What is the difference between TIME's digital and print plans? Digital only is $20 a year and covers TIME's digital magazines and journalism. Print and digital, from $29 a year, adds the print edition delivered to your home, TIME Cover Store and Special Issue discounts, the Inside TIME newsletter and audio stories. #### Is TIME a reliable news source? TIME is a general-interest news organization founded in 1923. Its journalism is reported and edited by a professional newsroom led by Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs, with named correspondents on politics, climate, health, technology and culture. It reaches 1 million US print subscribers and 1.15 million globally, plus more than 1.1 million newsletter readers. #### How do I subscribe to TIME magazine? Subscriptions are at time.com/subscribe-agent. Choose digital only at $20 a year, or print and digital from $29 a year or $49 for two years. TIME also publishes seven free email newsletters at time.com/newsletters, which do not require a subscription. #### Can I cancel a TIME subscription? Yes. TIME states that subscriptions can be cancelled at any time. #### Does TIME have free newsletters? Yes. TIME publishes seven free email newsletters reaching more than 1.1 million readers, covering daily news, Washington politics, health, AI, climate and energy, culture, and the newsroom itself. They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-sub-2026q3/newsletters?i=8d36735c-fc77-4cf6-b161-a4c5d694e8df&cr=time-sub-2026q3-v1) * TIME Subscriptions: [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-sub-2026q3/subscribe?i=8d36735c-fc77-4cf6-b161-a4c5d694e8df&cr=time-sub-2026q3-v1)  _Jin Taiyang and his friend Zhang Wei (right) experience wakeboarding at Yunhe Rice Terraces in Lishui, Zhejiang province. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY_ By CHEN YE At first glance, it seems impossible. On a sheet of water barely 3.9 inches deep, Jin Taiyang glides across a flooded rice terrace nearly half a mile above sea level. Instead of being pulled by a boat, the 33-year-old wakeboarding coach is pulled by an electric winch. He gathers speed before launching off a ramp at the edge of one terrace. He twists into a backflip and lands smoothly on the tier below, sending water spraying into the air and prompting applause from the onlookers. For Jin, it is unlike riding anywhere else. “When you’re surfing in the ocean, the only sound you hear is that of the waves,” he said. “Here, you’re surrounded by birds and insects. You can hear the water beneath your board, the sound of the winch pulling you forward and, if you land the trick, the cheers from visitors.” The performances take place at the Yunhe Rice Terraces Scenic Area in Yunhe county of Lishui in East China’s Zhejiang province. Designated as a national 5A tourist attraction, the highest rating of its kind, the site is home to the largest complex of terraced rice fields in East China. Each spring, before rice transplanting begins, the terraces are flooded with mountain spring water, creating mirror-like surfaces that are ideal for wakeboarding. The unusual combination of an ancient farming landscape and a modern extreme sport has attracted increasing interest from visitors. However, for Jin, a native of Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu province, it is the setting that leaves the deepest impression. “My favorite scene is seeing local farmers in bamboo hats working the fields with water buffalo,” he said. “That’s something you don’t get to see very often anymore. It feels very Chinese.” He also vividly remembers the first time he arrived at the terrace after a heavy rain. “The fog covered the mountains and visibility was very low,” he recalled. “It felt as if we were riding through the clouds.” The idea of wakeboarding on the terraces initially emerged in 2021, when Jin and Zhang Wei, a former member of the Chinese national wakeboard team, were invited to film a promotional video. “In skateboarding and snowboarding, people often ride in unusual places to create different visual effects,” said Jin. “We wanted to see if wakeboarding could do the same.” Following the success of the first shoot in May 2021, Jin and Zhang returned this spring with four riders from the Hong Kong, China Waterski Association to stage another series of performances. “The audience was much larger this time,” Zhang said. “People were really engaged. We could hear the applause and cheers throughout the performance.” Although the tricks may appear effortless, each one requires careful preparation. Recognized by the International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation, wakeboarding remains a relatively niche sport. Even experienced riders cannot expect every attempt to succeed. Before each performance, the team carefully studies the terraces and plans every jump between the different levels. “Sometimes we have to try several times before getting a trick right,” Jin said with a laugh. “That also means falling into the mud more than once.” Zhang emphasized that the terraces are never used as a training ground. “We only perform tricks that we’ve fully mastered,” he said. “Everything we do here has been practiced countless times on lakes, behind boats or at cable parks. We don’t come here to experiment.” The performances have also sparked visitors’ interest in the sport. Xiong Jianbing, deputy general manager of Yunhe Rice Terraces Investment Development Co, said that the scenic area plans to invite the athletes back to perform regularly after the farming season, and it is also considering offering wakeboarding experiences for enthusiasts under professional guidance. “We would like more visitors to experience the terraces from a different perspective. By combining sports with tourism, they can gain a deeper appreciation of this unique landscape,” Xiong said. [](https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/) ## China Daily Website - Connecting China Connecting the World Since its launch in 1981, China Daily has grown to become the nation’s leading English-language newspaper. With a combined print, online and mobile readership of more than 470 million, it serves a vital role in telling the world about China, providing valuable insight into the world’s second-largest economy. 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