Top 6 Most Beautiful Rice Terraces in China

Many travelers said the rice terraces is so much like the Great Wall in China for they are the wonders of human being. However, the main difference is that the Great Wall was the wonder built under the force of the Chinese Emperors while the amazing rice terraces were cultivated by Chinese people in a natural way.

China has over 2000 years’ history to cultivated the rice terrace since Qin Dynasty (221BC-207BC) and most of them are located in South China and Southeast China, like Yunnan, Guangxi, Guizhou, Jiangxi, Fujian. Chinese people use their own wisdom and their skillful hands to get the most out of nature and create the “Art of Earth”. The breathtaking natural scenery, the unique farming system, the hospitable local people, the brilliant ethnic culture shows the greatest harmony between the sky above and the people below.

So, it is worth your time and effort to get off the beaten path and head to the traditional villages to explore the most beautiful rice terrace in China. Do bring your camera and the best scenery is waiting for you! Go now!

Top 1: Yuanyang Hani Rice Terrace (Yunnan): 1300 Years’ Carving of the Earth

Yuanyang Rice Terrace - China's Top Terrace

Yuanyang Rice Terrace (元阳梯田), about 308 kilometers from Kunming, is the core of Honghe Hani Rice Terrace which was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013. It is marked by spectacular terraces that cascade down the slopes of towering Aliao Mountain to the banks of the Hong River. Over the past 1300 years, the Hani people have developed a complex system of channels to bring water from the forested mountaintops to terraces. The rice terraces is a testimonial to demonstrate extraordinary harmony between Hani people and their environment, both visually and ecologically. Yuanyang Rice Terrace is wildly scattered, mainly composed of Bada Scenic Spot, Duoyishu Scenic Spot and Laohuzui Scenic Spot. In this magic land, there are four distinct features will definitely get you shocked.

large scale: The different shape with layer of layer linking together, form an area with 170,000 acres.

Steep Slope: The gradients of some rice terraces rise from 15° to 75°.

Layer after Layer: The maximum layers of one slope reach 3700, making it very magnificent like the ladder to heaven.

High Altitude: It rises from river valley to 2000 meters high which reaches the extremity for rice growing.

Location

Yuanyang County, Honghe Hani Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province. It is about 308 kilometers from Kunming, the main transport hub of Yunnan.

Best Time to Visit

If you are a traveler who are fond of photography, the best time to come to Yuanyang Rice Terrace is from December to March, especially from January to March which is after the harvest and the terraces have been irrigated. In early spring (from late February to March), the terraces are decorated with lots of flowers, including pink peach blossom and white pear blossom. You’d better bring an umbrella, wear warm clothes and comfortable shoes when visiting at this time.

For Photography

It is a wise choice to spend two days exploring different villages and scenic spots when visiting Yuanyang Rice Terrace.

To Shoot Sunrise and Rosy Dawn: Duoyishu Scenic Spot (多依树) is the best place to capture sunrise. When the sun rises up the 6000-mu Duoyishu Rice Terraces, the whole villages turns bright and the vast rice terraces look like a mirror, radiating the rays of golden light.
To Shoot Sunset: Bada Scenic Spot (坝达) is with 950 hectares and 17 villages, over 3700 layer of terraces. In Laohuzui Scenic Area (老虎嘴), you could shoot the most magnificent and spectacular terraces.
To shoot Seas of Clouds and Sunrises among Clouds: a high place near Xinjie Town (新街镇).
To Shoot Hani Folk Customs: About 8km from Xinjie, it is the Jingkou Hani Folk Village to take photos of the unique mushroom-shape Hani houses.

How to Get There

From Kunming South Bus Station, there are direct long distance buses to Yuanyang Xinjie Town, running schedules around 10:20, 13:30, 19:30 and 20:00. It takes about 7 hours between Kunming and Yuanyang. For the inconvenient transportation, it is highly recommended to use our private transfer service to Yuanyang.

Recommended Trips:

>> 4 Days Yuanyang Rice Terrace Photography Tour

>> 5 Days Kunming, Jianshui & Yuanyang Rice Terrace Tour

Yuanyang Rice Terrace - Sunset of Laohuzui

Yuanyang Rice Terrace - Hani Ethnic Group

Top 2: Longji Rice Terrace (Guilin): Magnificent Sky Ladder like Dragon’s Backbone

Longji Rice Terrace (龙脊梯田), also called Longsheng Rice Terrace, is one of the most amazing terraces in China, about 80 kilometers away from Guilin. In 2017, it was listed as the “Top Rice Terrace in South China” claimed by the United Nations.

Longji Rice Terrace is divided three scenic spots - Jinkeng Yao Terraced Field Spots, Ping’an Zhuang Terraced Field Spot and Longji Old Village Cultural Terraced Field Spot. The terraced fields are built along the slope winding from the riverside up to the mountain top, with an altitude rising from 300 meters to 1100 meters and the gradients of some rice terraces reach 50°. The rice terrace is layer upon layer, like the changing ladder created by nature leading to the blue sky, forming a majestic painting between Heaven and Earth. No matter when you come, you can take an enjoyable walk through the fields, shoot hundreds of beautiful pictures, as well as have in-depth understanding about the locals - Zhuang and Yao ethnic groups.