BEIJING, May 20 -- A trio of sites in China were recently designated as Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs announced on Tuesday.

The newly recognized sites are an ancient pear orchard system in northwest China's Gansu Province, a freshwater pearl mussel composite fishery system in Zhejiang Province in the east of China, and a white tea culture system in Fujian Province, also located in east China.

With these latest additions, China now has 25 GIAHS sites -- the highest number across the globe.

The GIAHS program, launched by the FAO, has assisted farming communities in safeguarding traditional agricultural systems and associated landscapes, agricultural biodiversity, knowledge systems and cultures.