Longji Rice Terraces

Centuries-old Zhuang and Yao rice terraces in Longsheng County, northwest of Guilin, where Ping'an's "Seven Stars with the Moon" and Jinkeng Dazhai's "Thousand-Layer Heavenly Ladder" ripple across the hills. Stay in a stilted guesthouse to watch sunrise over the terraces, and visit the Ancient Zhuang Village, the long-haired Yao village and Longsheng Hot Springs.

The Longji Rice Terraces lie in Heping Township, Longsheng Various Nationalities Autonomous County, about 80 km northwest of Guilin. Carved out over several centuries by the ancestors of the Zhuang and Red Yao peoples, they form part of the Rice Terraces System in the Mountainous Regions of Southern China, a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System. The scenic area has three main sections. In the south, Ping'an Zhuang Village was the first to be developed and has the most guesthouses, with viewpoints such as "Nine Dragons and Five Tigers" and "Seven Stars with the Moon". In the north, Jinkeng Dazhai has Red Yao terraces with a drop of nearly 1,000 m, the most spectacular of all, and three main viewpoints: West Hill Music, the Thousand-Layer Heavenly Ladder (at Tiantouzhai) and Golden Buddha Peak, which you can reach by cable car. To the west, the Longji Ancient Zhuang Village and Jinzhu Zhuang Village preserve century-old stilted houses and a rich cultural atmosphere. Near the main entrance, Huangluo Yao Village hosts performances by long-haired Yao women, and Longsheng Hot Springs lies towards the county town. Best seasons: in Apr–May the flooded terraces shine like mirrors; Jun–Aug is lush and green; from late September to mid-October the ripening rice turns the terraces gold, their most beautiful time, with harvest usually around the end of October; and winter occasionally brings snow. Getting there: buses run from Guilin's Qintan Bus Station and elsewhere to the Longsheng Heping/Longji scenic area entrance, or it's about 2 hours by car. Buy a combined ticket (about ¥95) at the entrance, then take shuttle buses to Ping'an or Dazhai; there is no direct bus between the two villages. Stay 1–2 nights in a terrace guesthouse; a classic plan is one day for the Ancient Zhuang Village and Ping'an, and one day for Jinkeng Dazhai. Note: the mountain paths have many steps, and porters can carry your luggage; paths are slippery in the rain, and in summer, watch out for heat and thunderstorms.

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