Barns built above water keep grain safe in Miao village

(People's Daily Online/Zhao Jian)

With a history of over 400 years, barns for storing grain built above water have become popular sights in Xinqiao village, a village of the Miao ethnic group in Datang township, Leishan county, southwest China’s Guizhou province.

With a floor area of 25 square meters and a height of 3.5 to 4 meters each, the facilities were built using the mortise-tenon joint structure technique.

The barns, located about 1.5 meters above the surface of the water to prevent ants, rats and fires, are able to store about 5,000 kg of grains each.

Local villagers also raise fish and ducks in the water as another way to increase their incomes.