Longji Rice Terraces

 

Location: Longsheng County, 77km away from Guilin downtown, Guangxi, China

Reasons to visit: Best place to admire natural landscape and folk custom of Chinese minorities

Our Ratings: ★★★★

Opening Hours: All day

 

Longji Rice Terraces is the most amazing terrace in China! Construction of the terraces began in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), and continued until the early Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) when construction was completed.

It is really a beautiful natural picture. The linked together rice terraces vary from season to season. In spring, the water is irrigated into the fields and the terraces look like great chains or ribbons hung on the hillsides. When it is the onset of summer, green waves rush continuously down the mountainside from the heaven. The theme of autumn is the harvest, with the mountainside decorated with the gold of ripened millet. Coming into winter, the whole mountain will be covered with white snow, just like dragons playing with water.

 

History of Longsheng Longji Rice Terraces

Longsheng Longji Rice Terraces was original built in Yuan Dynasty and completed in the early Qing Dynasty with a history of over 650 years. The ancestors who first cultivate the rice terrace would never think about that their wisdom and hard work could build such a beautiful and amazing scenic area. For such a long time, the strong will for living, the wisdom and power of human is fully presenting on this land.  

The terraces like ribbons and chains full of the mountains. The mountains looks just like giant snails or a huge fan. On this wide land, footpath wriggles between terraces. Folk songs linger in between mountains. 

It is hard to imagine that 800 years ago how the first batch of Zhuang and Yao people faced to the deep mountains and forests, and how they rely on original slash-and-burn agriculture and cultivate the first field.  

The rice was so attractive for them, maybe they did not think too deep, their descendants had already took the hoes from them and cultivate the rice terraces day by day, year by year. From Yuan Dynasty to Qing Dynasty, for about 650 years, the amazing landscape of rice terraces were finally completed.

 

What to See?


Jinkeng Rice Terrace

Jinkeng Rice Terraces is reputed as a unique landscape of the world tourism landscape. The rice terraces here are so grand with cloud and mist surrounding the summit of the hills. And you will also find Yao Village with unique characteristics. Here is not just the heaven for photographers from domestic and overseas, but also a wonder place for leisure sightseeing of tourists all over the world. The whole scenic area covers over 10 square km. The terraces were cultivated since Yuan Dynasty with a history of hundreds of years. 

In the mountains of the northeast part of Heping Village in Longshen County lies the Dahzai Village. It is over 10 square km in area with over 20 cottages and a population of more than 5000. Hong Yao, a breach of Yao ethnic group, is living here. The ancestors of Hong Yao people were moved from Donting and Wuxi of Hunan Province, and they brought an advanced technique of growing rice. Now, the field in front of Dazhaicun School was the earliest field cultivated by their ancestors. 

 

Pingan Rice Terrace

Pingan Rice Terraces across Pingan and Longji administrative villages like a moving dragon on this land with wild power which can shake the heaven and earth.

Pingan Rice Terraces's highest altitude is 880 m, and the lowest is 380 m, with vertical elevation difference of 500 m, covering an area of over 4 square km. The terraces like ribbons or chains wreathe from the foot to the top of the mountain. The small hills look like snails, and the large hills look like pagodas. In spring, there are layers of silver ribbons; in summer, green waves will be full of your views; in autumn, golden pagodas stands one by one; in winter, groups of dragons play with water. In the world of terraces, there are 15862 pieces of fields. The largest one is just 0.62 mu, while the smallest one just have space for 3 plants.

 

Ethnic Villages in Longji Rice Terraces Scenic Area

Ethnic Villages in Longji Rice Terraces Scenic Area such as Pingan Zhuang Village, Jinzhu Zhuang Village, Huangluo Yao Village, Longji Ancient Zhuang Village and other villages are very worth for a visit.

 

Longji Old Village Cultural Terraced Field

Longsheng Longji Rice Terraces Scenic Area covers an area of 70.1 square kilometers. Longji Old Village Cultural Terraced Fields is a part of the scenic area located in Longji Village. The terrace field in Longji Old Village has a high ornamental value of humanistic and terraced fields ornamental value. There are 300 families live in this village with a population of over 1300 . The surname of the people here are Liao, Hou and Pan, they are all North Zhuang people.

 

How to Get to Longji Rice Terraces from Guilin

 

The Longji Rice Terraces are about 100km North of Guilin City, and it takes about 2.5 hours to drive there. You have a couple of options to get out to the rice terraces, such as taking part in a day tour from Guilin, organizing a private car or taxi, or taking a couple of public buses.

 

Public bus

Non-stop bus: Guilin Qintan Bus Station-Longsheng County Bus Station     

Duration: 1 hour 40 minutes     

Bus Schedule: 07:00-19:00, depart every 40 minutes     

Bus fare: RMB30 per person per way 

 

Ordinary bus: Guilin Qintan Bus Station-Longsheng County Bus Station    

Duration: depends on how many times it stops. It often stops wherever or whenever someone gets on or gets off the bus.

Bus Timing: 06:10-17:00    

Bus fare: RMB24 per person per way    

 

When arriving at Longsheng County Bus Station, tourists need to change local bus from county to Longji Terrace Fields ( Dazhai Village or Pingan Village). It's quite of challenging if you don't know Chinese because few people here know other languages. Day tour with private guide is highly recommended!

 

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