Longji (Dragon's Backbone) Terraced Rice Fields

 

The Longji Terraced Rice Fields are located 23 kilometers (14 miles) from Longsheng city. They are the most famous rice terraces in China. Construction started in the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368) and the fields cover an area of over 66 square kilometers (16,300 acres) and at its highest point is 1100 meters high (3600 feet). It is a paradise for photographers and people interested in China's minority cultures.

Longji (Dragon's Backbone) Terraced Rice Fields received their name because the rice terraces resemble a dragon's scales, while the summit of the mountain range looks like the backbone of the dragon. Visitors standing on the top of the mountain can see the dragon's backbone twisting off into the distance.

During the Yuan Dynasty many minority groups were forced to flee to the mountains. Being primarily an agricultural society, they needed to find a way to continue agriculture on the steep sides of the mountains. They did this be ingeniously turning the mountains themselves into fields. The entire mountains are covered with rice fields, from the rivers far below to the peaks, making Longji a very unique and picturesque scenic spot. The villages scattered across the mountain consist of wooden buildings built in a style that lets them hug the steep mountains. Each village is quite small and consists of only a few buildings. Many of these wooden homes are also used as small hotels, and visitors to Longji can stay in one and witness the local people's hospitality. In the morning many visitors like to get up early to watch the sun rise above the terraced peaks.

Longji is also unique because three different ethnic minority groups are located in one area. The Yao, Zhuang, and Miao ethnic minority groups call this area home. The colorful costumes of these minority groups add a bright splash of color to the terraced rice fields as they go about their work of growing rice. The Yao women wear bright pink embroidered clothing with heavy silver earrings. They are famous for their extremely long hair and are listed in the Guiness Book of World's Records. The Zhuang women wear white shirts, black pants, and brightly colored cloth on their heads. The Miao women wear colorful short jackets with short pleated skirts, and on special occasions wear large amounts of silver jewelry, and adornments. This clothing is worn on a daily basis. It is an unforgettable site to see the minority women working the fields in all of their finery. Each minority group has its own individual language, music, dance, and art. Visiting Longji is like visiting a living museum of China's ethnic minority groups.

The best time to visit Longji is in the spring, or autumn, but each season in Longji is spectacular. In spring, the rain irrigates the fields, and each field looks like a mirror reflecting the blue sky and fluffy clouds. In summer, the terraces look like small forests as the bright green rice plants begin to grow to maturity. In the fall, the mountains are covered in gold as the ripe rice plants wait to be harvested. In the winter, the whole mountain will be covered with snow making the mountain look like a giant sleeping white dragon.

The Longji Dragon's Back Rice Terraces have an almost mystical quality to them. As visitors climb walk along the mountain paths, each view that opens up is more beautiful than the one before. The mixture of nature's beauty, the splash of color from the local women, and scattered villages make Longji a destination not to be missed.

Recommended a Guilin minority tour

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