China Tours & Private Packages - Discover the mistery of China with a Local China Travel Agency(TTC)
Longsheng Rice Terraces, also called the Longji Rice Terraces, located in Guinlin China, is a group of rice terraces that look like the dragon’s backbone. It is situated in Longji Town, Guilin City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, about 80 kilometers from Guilin. It is reputed as one of the most beautiful rice terraces in the world. In addition, it is also one of China’s most majestic landscapes. The Longsheng Rice Terraces began in the Qin and Han Dynasties and reached their current scale during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The Longsheng Rice Terraces has a history of at least 2,300 years.
Longsheng Rice Terraces covers an area of 66 square kilometers nowadays. All terrace fields are distributed between 300 m to 1100 m above sea level, and the largest gradient of the terrace fields can reach 50°. Longsheng Rice Terraces include three parts: Jinkeng Red Yao Terraced Fields Spot, Ping’an Zhuang Terraced Fields Spot, and Longji Old Village Cultural Terraced Fields Spot. The first two spots are cultivated by two indigenous ethnic people – the Zhuang people and the Yao people. These rice terraces are very scenic. In addition, they're agricultural curiosity and hiking haven. The tourists can appreciate the breathtaking terraced fields and also experience the national culture of the Zhuang and Yao people.
Jinkeng Red Yao Terraced Fields Spot, or simply Jinkeng Terraces, is composed of five small villages, lived mainly by Red Yao People, with Dazhai Village on the mountain foot, Zhuangjie Village on the mountain side and Tiantou Village on the mountain top. The shape of Jinkeng Terraces is like a natural formed pit. Less commercial breath compared with other spots and majestic scenery are the reasons why Jinkeng Terraces is the most popular sites for shutterbugs and independent traveller. Most of the gorgeous photos of Longsheng Rice Terraces published are shot from here. The spot has three viewpoints which form a triangle. The apex of the triangle is the No.1 Viewpoint, while the left bottom is No.2 Viewpoint and right bottom is No.3 Viewpoint.
Huangluo Yao Village is the only Red Yao Village in the scenic spot. Tourists can reach there by driving along the travel road of the scenic spot. The whole village is famous for Red Yao people’s costumes, long hair and song and dance performance. The village has about 60 families and every woman in the village has long hair over 1 m, and the longest hair can reach to 2.1 m. This phenomenon earned recognition from Guinness World Records in 2002. There is hair-combing performance every day. You can hire some women as your photography models.
Interesting Facts: (1) Unmarried Red Yao girls will wrap their hair with a cloth until they get married. (2)If the Red Yao people have good feeling for someone, they will step on the tiptoe of that person, and if they have a great affection on that person, they will step on his heel. (3) To show friendship, they will pinch other’s hip, so don’t be panic when you’re pinched by some middle-aged women.
This spot can be called as Longji Village for short, half hour walk to Ping’an Village. The whole village is surrounded by layers of layers terrace fields. Compared with other spots, Longji Village has the most historical scenes. The aged old Zhuang village has the best-preserved stilt-style architecture of Zhuang people in China. There are only five old houses in the village and the oldest one was built in Qing Dynasty and has a history of 150 years. Following the bluestone pavement and walk around the village, appreciate the primitive simplicity of the old village. Recommended Route: ticket checking office – Longji Zhuang Ecological Museum – Slender Ditch Viewpoint (长沟) – Floating Dragons to the River Viewpoint (游龙下江).
Every year, the ethnic festivals & activities in the Longsheng are not only the grand gathering for the local people, but also attract many tourists.
Spring is a charming season. With the blossom of the rapeseed flower in Longsheng Rice Terraces, tourists start to stream into here. Layers of layers rapeseed flowers turn the terraced fields into a golden ocean, just like another Shangri-la.
During the ceremony, the organizer will hold a photography contest and invite many photographers associations, news media and shutterbugs to Longsheng to shoot natural scenery and ploughing scene of the local people.
Red Clothes Festival (红衣节)：the 6th day of the sixth month of Chinese lunar year
Red Clothes Festival is also called Clothes Show Festival (晒衣节). It’s a traditional festival of Red Yao people. In memory of the ancestors, the Red Yao women will hang all their beautiful clothes under the eaves, and there will be traditional song and dance performances in the village. At night, thousands of torches will be ignited in the terraced fields and beautiful fireworks will shine the sky over the terraced fields.
There are many other festivals and activities in Longsheng all year around, and they are great chances to experience the ethnic culture and customs.
Different seasons will show you the different views. Generally, there are five good time to visit Longsheng Terraces.
1. From mid-May to Mid-June. During this period, local people will release water into the terraced fields. Patches of patches watery terraced fields will reflect its beautiful in the sun shine.
2. Late September to October. After the mature of the rice, the whole terraced fields will become golden. It’s the best time to see and take photo of golden terraces.
3. Snowy Terraces: in winter, if it snows, the villages and terraced fields will be covered with a layer of white snow, just like an icy fairy tale world.
4. July to August. At this time, the glossy and green rice terraces wave with summer breeze, and you can also see the curves of the terraced fields.
5. Festivals and activities time. Great chance to get to know the unique minority people’s folk custom and see song and dance performances.
Longsheng has no airport or railway station, so the only way is taking bus or private car from Guilin City. Independent travelers can take coach from Guilin Qintan Bus Station to Longsheng County and get off at Heping County of Longsheng (about 1.5 ~ 2 hours, dispatch every 15 minutes, ¥25/person). Purchase the terrace ticket at here and transfer to the bus to get Ping’an Village (18 km) or Dazhai Village (24 km). This will spend about 40 ~ 60 minutes.
For our customers, the local guide will escort you to the Ping’an Village or Dazhai Village (according to your itinerary) in the private car, and you don’t need to worry about anything about the transportation problem.
You can take bus or private car to travel among the ticket checking offices of the three spot (not in the scenic spot). However, the only way to transfer in the scenic spots is walk. From Daizhai Village to Ping’an Village, you can walk from the fork road between No.1 Viewpoint and No.2 Viewpoint to get to Ping’an Village. And through Seven Stars around the Moon, you can get to Longji Old Village from Ping’an Village. There are many fork roads on the way, thus, it’s better you hire a guide when you travel.
Ticket for the whole Longsheng Rice Terraces is ¥100/person. You will buy the ticket at the Gate of Longji Terraced Fields Scenic Area. After you enter into the scenic area, there are three ticket checking offices for the three terraced fields spots. Don’t lose or throw away your ticket unless you finish your tour.
The three spots have their own entrances; however, travelers normally enter into the terraced spots from the ticket checking offices of Ping’an Terraces and Jinkeng Terraces. While the ticket for cable car is ¥70/person and ¥120/person for round trip.
The hotels and hostels are almost concentrated in Ping’an Terraces Spot and Jinkeng Terraces Spot. Most of Ping’an Village’s hotels and hostels are tilted wooden houses built by the local people. Rooms are divided into double room with private bathroom and multiple-bedded room. For Jinkeng Terraces, travelers can stay overnight in Dazhai Village and Tiantou Village. Tiantou Village is more popular for a closer distance to the viewpoints. Accommodation in Longji Old Village is poor-equipped, so we don’t recommend you to stay there.
Since the houses in the scenic spot are mainly made with wood, so please be careful with the use of fire.
For those who carry much luggage or who can’t carry the luggage to hike, the local people supply luggage carrying service when you enter into the scenic spots. The price is from ¥30 to ¥50.
If you want to take specific photo, like Yao women combing their hair or walking along the trails among terraced fields, it’s only cost you about ¥10 to have them as your model.
Most of the roads in the scenic spot are stone trails, so high-heeled shoes are not advisable. Following the stone trails when you hike to prevent getting lost.
The weather of Longsheng is normally lower 2℃ to 3℃ than Guilin City, while the mountain tops temperature is lower than the mountain foot, so please take some warm clothes with you.
In winter time, if there is a heavy snow or icy pavements, use antiskid chains to your car. Please wear antiskid shoes or soft-soled trail shoes.
Top 4 China Tours chosen by most customers to explore Guilin in the best way. Check the detailed itinerary, or tailor your own trip now with us.
We are here to help you...
Start planning your tailor-made with 1-1 help from our travel advisors.