Dragon’s Backbone Rice Terraces – China
China’s amazing Dazai-Jinkeng “Dragon’s Backbone” Rice Terraces weave amid the Yao & Zhunag ethnic minority villages, as seen from my hiking around Taintouzhou, in Longsheng county, Guangxi province.
Yao woman overlooking Jinkeng rice terraces
The Dazai Rice Terraces are located 20km away from the more famous (but more touristic and less-spectacular) Longji Terraces. The terraces string around the slopes of (800 meter-high) mountains; this 66-sq-km agricultural-irrigation scheme was constructed by the ethnic Yao & Zhuang tribes in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) and continued until the early 20th century. Why bother building up here? Well, the Yao people had fled into mountains to escape persecution by the Mongols (who ruled China back then, as the Yuan Dynasty).
Room with a view – Tiantouzhou
Travel Advice – Tiantouzhai & rice terraces
Getting There: Take bus from Guilin Central Bus Station to the Longsheng (bus station) then transfer to a mini bus – they’ll find you – to Dazhai (where you will pay an entrance free). From the foot of this mountain village, walk the steep but ok path uphill for an hour to Tiantouzhai … Tiantou village has less tourists (mostly domestic, than Dazhai) and offers more tranquility, and better views.
Don’t sweat it: Strong local women will probably offer/insist to carry your (large, overburdened) backpack for a small fee. Why not, spread your cash around.
Accommodation: Cheap rooms (some with ensuite) in large wooden guesthouses. Simple meals of fried noodles or rice with egg, meat, vege available; as are basic snacks, bottled water, soda, beer.
Stay at least overnight. But 2/3 days is better for the surounding terraces and the quiet hike over to the Longji Terraces at Ping An (a more touristic area; 4+ hours walk). There are 4 main terrace viewpoints within the immediate surrounds; the top-most one is great at late afternoon, with some beers (buy at a souvenir stall there), overlooking the valley … but when stumbling down at dusk – have a flashlight ready!
Took quite few of this old, smiley guy to get a few good pics of him, as he kept blinking … (I now have a new anti-blink camera) but anyway a picture of an elderly Yao man
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