Longji Rice Terraces

The Longji Rice Terraces in Guangxi, China

I've traveled pretty extensively and the Longji Rice Terraces (also known as the Longsheng Rice Terraces) are among some of the most beautiful landscapes I've ever seen. The sub-tropical heat typical of Guangxi melts away to cool evenings and stunning sunsets, pine forests and meandering trails through the terraces that just get better the higher up you climb. In the summer, the rice stalks shine emerald green, but the terraces are equally beautiful when recently flooded with water in the spring or when the rice stalks turn yellow at the end of the harvest. 

4 Seasons at the Longji Terraces (photo credit)

I visited last summer in July, around the end of the rainy season (at least for that year - this year, it's August as I write this and the rainy season is still going strong). There were landslides, copious amounts of mud, and waterfalls dumping heaps of water over the road on the way up to the terraces from Guilin City. It made me a little nervous about my plans to hike up into the hills, but upon arriving at Dazhai, one of the largest villages and a gateway to the area, the weather was sunny and beautiful. The trails were clear and I had no trouble hiking the short distance to my guesthouse in the little village of Tiantou.

Arriving in Dazhai Village

On the trail to Tiantou

Guesthouses in Tiantou village

The terraces are populated by ethnic minority people who make up a large portion of the population here in Guangxi, whose official name is actually the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. It's so called because most of the Zhuang minority people make their home here and are about 32% of the local population. The rest is 62% Han Chinese and the remaining portion is made up of various ethnic minorities.

Dogs are well-respected by the minority people, so you can find them everywhere you go

A traditional home in Tiantou village. The bottom half is a barn, the upper half a living space.

Narrow alley between traditional homes in Tiantou village

In the terraces the people are mainly Zhuang and Yao. It's possible to stay in traditional style homes in the area and of course the local culture is one of the main draws. Some of the highlights include the beautiful embroidered souvenirs available absolutely everywhere you turn, the amazing fresh food, and the sight of tiny old Zhuang ladies giggling as they fly by you on their way up hills with baskets strapped to their backs laden with anything from fresh vegetables to bottled water and trinkets for tourists. 

One of my favorite dishes there was noodles with meat and mountain vegetables. The meat options vary but you can get it made from one of the local free-range chickens that wander the hills. Another delicious specialty that is frequently offered to tourists is the bamboo rice, which is sticky rice with meat and vegetables roasted inside a thick stalk of bamboo. Part of the fun of eating it is watching it prepared; chefs will expertly hack the bamboo to just the right size for cooking, and then split it in half to serve.

Left: noodles with egg and mountain plants, Right: egg and tomato stir fry

The only thing better than the food is the view!

Try not to trip over the numerous chickens in the villages...

Bamboo rice

Some people choose to hire guides when hiking in the terraces, but in my opinion it wasn't really necessary. One of the best things to do while there is wander off for the day and lose yourself in the hills while drinking in the scenery and observing the local farmers. Anytime you start to feel lost, just mention the name of the village you want to get to and one of the farmers will point you in the right direction. Some trails will get crowded and others are tranquil, but even the quieter trails will likely have people passing by so you don't need to worry about getting lost.

We stayed two nights in the little village of Tiantou, which I would really recommend over staying in Dazhai. Tiantou is about a 30 minute hike higher up the hill from Dazhai, but the views are far superior.

From Tiantou, we hiked to to one of the largest villages in the area called Ping'an, which takes about 3.5 - 4 hours. We took our time on the trail as it was gorgeous and the weather was lovely. The trail is not especially difficult, with long flat stretches along the ridges of the terraces and only occasionally dipping up and down through valleys. It passes several small villages along the way where it is probably possible to get food and lodging if you want to stay somewhere more off the beaten path.

On the trail from Tiantou to Ping'an

Passing through a small village on the way to Ping'an 

View from the top of the Dragon Backbone Terrace and our first glimpse of Ping'an Village

Ping'an is much more touristy than Tiantou and much larger as well. The first afternoon and evening we stayed there it wasn't too crowded, and we enjoyed taking some of the trails around the town. The famed Dragon Backbone Terrace which appears in most photos of the region can be found here. Unfortunately, the next day the village was absolutely swamped with bus after bus of Chinese tourists. But the farther you wander away from town on the farming trails, the easier it is to escape the crowds as very few Chinese people hike.

Bamboo shoots and chili peppers drying in the sun in Ping'an

Traditional style homes in Ping'an village

Ping'an village

Getting to the Terraces from Guilin

On the way there, our guesthouse in Tiantou village arranged for a shuttle bus to pick us up outside of Guilin train station. The ride was long and bumpy with lots of twisting roads, and I think it took around 3 or 4 hours. We arrived at Dazhai around 3 or 4 pm, with plenty of time to make the short hike to Tiantou in the daylight.

From Tiantou to Ping'an, it can be a little hard to find the trailhead that leads you there. It's a very good idea to look up the Chinese characters for the village names. But it's definitely possible to do the hike without a guide, just ask a local for directions and maybe buy a souvenir or snack from them in exchange. 

From Ping'an, we again asked our guesthouse to purchase bus tickets for us back to Guilin. I no longer remember the price for the buses, but it was probably around 50rmb. You also need to pay an entrance fee to the Longji Rice Terraces in general, as they are a protected area. I believe it is around 100rmb for foreign adults.