Introduction
Longji Terraced Fields
Why the Long Ji rice terraces are special
Long Ji is one of the world's most beautiful rice terraces. It is also one of the world's largest rice terraces, measuring 66 square kilometers (26 square miles).
Interesting insights about the Long Ji rice terraces
(1) The slopes are steep (30 degree average). Some have 50 degree inclines.
(2) Most terraces are carved out of the hillside, one directly above the other. Some terraces spiral upwards, forming one continuous path around a hill, from its base to its top (this facilitates irrigation by allowing the water to flow down an unbroken track).
Long Ji tidbits
(1) The term Long Ji translates as Devil's Backbone, the popular English name for the terraces.
(2) The Long Ji rice terraces were begun in earnest during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) and were virtually completed by 1700.
(3) The highest Long Ji terraces are 1100 meters (3600 feet) above sea level.
Tips for your vacation tour or trip
(1) The time you go will affect what you see. The paddies are lush green with growing rice stalks in the summer. After the fall harvest, paddies are exposed bare soil (no greenery or water). They are later filled with water, forming reflecting pools. They remain that way until the first rice shoots appear in the spring.
(2) Explore some of the interesting ethnic villages in the region around Long Ji, including those of the Shuang and Yao people.
Nearest major city
To reach the Long Ji terraces from Guilin (the major tourism city of the Guangxi autonomous region), you drive three hours north to the regional city of Longsheng, then one hour southeast up a twisting mountain road to Long Ji. |
