The terraced rice paddies of Longsheng, the Spine of the Dragon

The terraced rice paddies of Longsheng – The photos are all from Matteo Bosi

You already know how to get to Guilin. And if it’s still not clear, have a look at this guide. How to avoid swallowing the bait and staying only in this congested city, preferring instead smaller Yangshuo and its surrounds, you will certainly learn it from Furio’s (mis)adventures.

Good,so let’s talk about what you absolutely shouldn’t miss in any trip to the Guanxi region, the terraced rice paddies of the Spine of the Dragon.

Terraced rice paddies of Ping’An

How much will I spend? How much walking?

Longji Titian (龙脊梯田) is a region 100 kilometers north of Guilin that’s become a protected zone for a few years now, for which you need to buy a ticket. The amount is still reasonable if you consider other speculations, like the Tulou of the Fujian region: its 100 Yuan per person which grants permission for the length of stay in the territory of Longsheng 龙胜. With this name it indicates the region of rice paddies that hosts the Yao and Zhuang ethnic minorities as well as the Miao and Dong. If you were thinking of a purely natural tour, forget it, because this is their home, and it is thanks to them that marvels of human engineering such as terraced rice paddies exist.

The hills are about 1000 meters in height and the trails are 99% tiled and largely “staired”, or carved into stairs for the ascent. So the hikes are manageable, though perhaps calves that haven’t been trained might by effected by the network of stairs. It’s necessary to remember that the pavement becomes particularly slippery with rain, even lightly (as my bruises can confirm…).

The region extends for 15-20 kilometers all walkable on foot on these trails, so if you plan to hang around the fields and not just stick to the villages, set out prepared for an excursion. There’s the possibility of visiting villages by passing directly from one to the other through the drivable road mainly through valleys (about a half hour by car between Ping’An and Dazhai), and then eventually come out to hang around. That is actually what most tourists do.

Grazing horse

What is there to see in Longji Titian?

The region of terraces are in turn subduvuded into three big areas: the terraces of Ping’An (ethnic Zhuang) and those of Jinkeng (ethnic Yao). A little beyond the valleys you’ll find the villages of Huang Luo and Jinzhu which merit a stop.

The terraces of Ping’An and the contiguous village of Zhuang are the most-visited so the effect of “tourist invasion” is guaranteed. There are hotels, restaurants, shops for all tastes and budgets, so there’s no risk of dying from hunger or cold; if you’re looking for comfort there are little places that make one think of the cabins in the Italian mountains.

On the other hand the authenticity of the place is about to be lost, in view of the imminent construction of a road that will push deeper into the terraces and on to the small villages (and bringing tourists in droves): to this day the long-haired women of ethnic Yao arrive up to here each day just to try to pawn off industrially produced scarves as handmade.
Source: http://www.saporedicina.com/english/terraced-rice-paddies-longsheng/