The Most Beautiful Rice Paddies in China
The ability to cultivate rice in all manner of terrain took a settlement at the Huang He River Valley and turned it into one of the most prosperous, cultured, and technologically advanced civilisations in the world. Rice paddy terraces were a technological development that allowed China to grow strong, and also became a source of unique beauty for for the country, a representation of man’s ability to manipulate nature. Below are some of the most breathtaking rice paddies in China.
Longji Terraces
The Lonji rice terraces are 80 kilometers north of Guilin, in Longsheng county.
While the terraces are in Longsheng county, they are commonly referred to as the “Longji” terraces which literally means “Dragon’s backbone.”
The ethnic Zhuang and Yao people who inhabit this part of Guangxi live in wooden houses.
In nearby Yangshuo, the famous Karst mountains make a majestic backdrop for the rice fields.
Dazhai is one of the ethnic Yao villages that is located among the terraced rice paddies.
Yuanyang Terraces
The Yuanyang rice terraces are in Yuanyang county, deep in rural Yunnan province.
When visiting Yuanyang, be aware that you do not have to enter the “scenic park” and pay an admission ticket to see the terraces. There many beautiful terraces all over the mountains of Yuanyang county.
Yunhe Rice Terraces
The Yunhe rice terraces are located in Zhejiang, 5 kilometers from Lishui city, in Yunhe county. Yunhe is the homeland of the She ethnic minority people, a eastern Chinese group with about 700,000 members.
Jiabang Rice Terraces
The Jiabang Terraces are in Guizhou, about 80 kilometers from the county town of Congjiang.
This part of Guizhou province is inhabited by ethnic Miao people, who are known as the Hmong outside of China. These paddies are cultivated by the Miao.
The Miao village of Xijiang is actually a collection of 12 smaller villages. Comprised of over 1000 Miao families, Xijiang is the largest Miao village in China.
Ziquejie Terraces
These rice terraces are located in Hunan, 285 kilometers west of Changsha, in Xinhua county, Shuiche district. These terraces are somewhat more remote and less traveled than the more popular Longji and Yuanyang terraces.
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