Longji 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).
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. In the early morning when the weather is fine, the sunrise on the summit of Longji Rice Terraces is magnificent.
The terraced rice fields make Longji a paradise for photographers and people interested in China's minority cultures. In the morning many visitors like to get up early to watch the sun rise above the terraced peaks. During the daytime, it is wonderful to see minority women who live in the Huangluo Yao Village working in the fields in colorful costumes.
Longji is spectacular in every season. The best time to visit Longji is totally up to your travel interests. However, Spring and Autumn are most recommended.
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 winter, the whole mountain could be covered with snow making the mountain look like a giant sleeping white dragon (the snow season is short in Longji from Jan. to Feb.).
The Longji Dragon's Back Rice Terraces have an almost mystical quality to them. As visitors climb and 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.
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