Chinese Name: 东川红土地水坪子梯田(月亮田)
English Name: Shuipingzi Terraced Fields of Dongchuan Red Land, Kunming

Location:The scenic spot of Yueliangtian in Dongchuan Red Land is called Shuipingzi as well and a distant attraction with terraced fields, it features a paddy fields which looks like a jade pipa. It’s similar to the terraced fields in Yuanyang, but it’s smaller. You can capture the scene after the paddy fields are filled with water in Spring, and you also can enjoy the golden Autumn with the rice waving.

The scenery of Yueliangtian is regarded as “ earth sculpture” which is a fabulous blend of gorge landscape and Terrace wetland landscape. The terraced fields is colorful When the moonlight pours, and the edges of fields are graceful and with rich layers, so it’s called “moon field”.

There is an “antique musical Instrument” in Yueliangtian. It’s said to be a pipa or a violin according to its shape. Nevertheless, some people think it is an instrument left by god whatever instrument it is. People cultivate it in the daytime, whereas, God plays music with it at night. It’s located on a hill where there are many terraced fields. In April, the locals water the fields, and the sunlight pours upon the surface of the water, which leads to a polytropic scene, a good place for photographer to shoot.

The specks of light in the paddy fields twinkle in the moonlight just like the stars in the sky. It’s said by locals that you will hear the beautiful sound of drums, zurna,  flute and the running water of the stream. What a wonderful fairyland it is!

It is the best place for fantasts to create a novel, and prosers can’t help writing all the time. Poets are enchanted by the charm of Yueliangtian and linger there.

Best season: April to June

Best time: at dusk

Why is Yuanyang Rice Terraces so special?

Yuanyang Rice Terraces are the Hani ethnic minority’s masterpiece of ingenuity. In unique shapes and sizes with thousands of years of history, they form a mosaic of colorful and breathtaking landscapes of natural beauty. Known as a “land sculpture”, the terraced fields have been officially acknowledged by UNESCO as a World Cultural and Natural Heritage Site. There are three popular scenic areas: Duoyishu, Bada, and Laohuzui.

Introduction of Yuanyang Rice Terraces

Yuanyang Rice Terraces has been a masterpiece of the ingenuity of the Hani people for generations. Southern Ailao Mountain, with this typical tiered landscape, is famed for its unique frontier scenery.

The Hani people’s ancestors came to this steep mountain area 2,500 years ago. In their struggle against the difficult terrain they successfully established the terraces, where they grew rice in order to make a living. The technology of developing fertile land on rugged mountain slopes didn’t spread all over China and Southeast Asia until 14th century. The creativity of the Hani people turned this mountain area into one of artistic beauty. In recognition, the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) emperor granted the title of ‘Skillful Sculptor’ to Hani people and their good reputation was passed down from generation to generation. At present, known as ‘land sculpture’ the terraced fields have been being officially acknowledged by UNESCO as a World Cultural and Natural Heritage site.

Hani terraced fields are magnificent and on a large-scale. They extend to many towns along the south bank of the Red River, such as Yuanyang, Lüchun and Jinping among others. With an area of more than 113 square kilometers (28,005.3 acres), the terrace in Yuanyang County is regarded as the core area of Hani terraces as the county is mountainous and the terraces built on the hillsides have a slope varying from 15 degrees to 75 degrees. The terraces rise by 3,000 steps forming a landscape that is rare both at home and abroad. In the main, the Yuanyang Hani terraces form three major scenic areas: Duoyishu scenic area, Bada scenic area and Laohuzui (the Tiger Mouth) scenic area. So many terraces set among vast forests, topped by an ocean of clouds create a magical, magnificent view. 

Main Rice Terraces in Yuanyang County

Duoyishu Rice Terraces (the Best Place to Take Pictures of the Sunrise)

Duoyishu Scenic Area is a 50-minute drive from Yuanyang. It is considered to be the best place to take pictures of the sunrise from the terraces. You are recommended to reach Duoyishu at dawn. As the sunlight appears on the horizon, it silhouettes the terraces and makes for an unforgettable moment. As the sun rises, the nearby village wakes up and people start walking on the ridge, presenting even more photo opportunities. When the sun rises over the mountain, everything is visible and clear, and the terraces glisten in the sunshine.

Bada Rice Terraces (the Best Place to Take Pictures of the Sunset)

Bada is the best place to get the sunset scenery of Yuanyang Rice Terraces. The terraces extend from the base to the top of the mountain, like ladders to heaven. As the sun sets, the terraces change colors incessantly; first they are pink, then turn to a rosy hue, and later to dark red.The spectacular sunset over Yuangyang Rice Terraces The spectacular sunset over the rice terraces. There are 17 Hani minority villages in this area. It is enjoyable to explore the villages and to see the traditional mushroom-shaped architectures of the Hani people.

Laohuzui Scenic Area (Rice Terraces Are More Rugged and Marvelous)

It is a 40-minute drive from Bada to Laohuzui. Laohuzui Scenic Area is situated in the core area of Yuangyang Rice Terraces. The 8.5 km2 (3.3 mi2) of rice terraces are more rugged and marvelous, looking like a natural picture painted by an artist.

Thousands of colorful layers extend for several kilometers and are dotted with trees. The best moment to enjoy the view of the marvelous rice terraces is during the sunset period.

Major Scenic Sites

The Hani Terraces are distributed over the Yuanyang, Red River, Lvchun and Jinping counties, mainly grouped around Xinjie Town (New Street Town). The major scenic sites are listed as follows:

Xinjie Town (新街镇): It is 30 kilometers away from Nansha Town which now holds the government seat of Yuanyang County. It is about 1,500 meters above sea level. Standing on some roofs, one can take pictures and have a view of a sea of clouds, sunsets and villages. Most photography-lovers stay there and leave for other scenic sites by renting a vehicle.

Qingkou (箐口): 8 kilometers away from Xinjie Town. Terraced fields can be seen everywhere in this site. Qingkou is a folk village, seated halfway down the hill. There are 150 families with more than 800 villagers. With the dense woods around it and the chorus of various kinds of birds, the original village represents the integrity of the ethnic culture of the Hani Terraces that comprises four elements: the forest, water, the terraces and the village. Walking along the flagged road, visitors can enjoy the masterpiece of the Hani Terraces culture. Visitors can enjoy the sight of farming and living facilities, such as the mushroom-shaped houses, Zhaishen wood, ditches, wooden cuts, water-powered roller for grinding grain, watermill, the building that houses the water-powered trip-hammer for husking rice, minority costumes, ploughs, harrows, hoes and looms.
In addition, two crystal springs named ‘White Dragon’ and ‘Longevity’ can be seen in the exhibition area.

Sheng Village (胜村): About 20 kilometers away from Xinjie Town. About half of the road to Xinjie is unpaved. There are some scenic spots nearby the country road, such as the Blue Dragon Teahouse, hills planted with tea, Beida village and Mali village. Mali village is also a typical Hani-type village with its special mushroom-shaped houses.
Sheng village is a great spot to see the Hani Terraces as well as a sea of clouds, and to enjoy local customs and practices. It is also a must-see place for photography.

Habo Village (哈播): 85 kilometers away from Xinjie Town. It is on the southern side of Xinjie Town. It is a good place to take pictures of the rising sun but few photographers go there as it’s a long way to go.

Village Fair: Yuanyang is an area mainly inhabited by minority nationality people, such as Hani, Yi, Dai and Miao. Therefore, in addition to the terraces, photography-lovers can take pictures of folk customs of the local people. Village fairs held in the big villages may be good places to go, such as Sheng, Niujiao, Majie and Shatuola Panzhihua villages.

Nearby Attractions

Jianshui Ancient Town: It has unique folk houses and ethnic Hani customs.
Mengzi Ancient County: It is famous for a 100-year-old rail track and station, French-style houses, and Yunnan Rice Noodles.
The Stone Forest: Reputed as the “Stone Forest Museum”, it is the only karst stone forest in a subtropical plateau region in the world.

Yuanyang Hani Terraces Climate

Besides the seasons, weather is also a crucial factor for taking pictures. The Yuanyang Terraces are located at the southern part of the Ailao Mountains, the valley of Red River and Tengtiao River. It is said that there are about 180 days with foggy conditions each year because of its wet climate. Therefore, it is necessary to know the weather information before departure.

Best Seasons for Photographing

Generally speaking, there are two best seasons in a year.

The first one is the spring sowing season from January to March. Before planting, the water-filled rice terraces are like thousands of mirrors reflecting the blue sky, green hills and mountains, or the sunrise and sunset, presenting a marvelous view.
The second one is the autumn harvest season from July to September. At this time, the bottom of the Ailao Mountains is golden yellow with rice. Rice terraces with different harvest times show different colors, either deep or light.

Compared with the autumn harvest season, pictures taken in the spring sowing season may be better because the lines between the water in the terraces and the ridges of the fields are clear and beautiful.

The Best Times to Visit

The best time for appreciating Yuanyang Rice Terraces is from January to March, when the terraces have been irrigated and the water in the fields reflects the sunshine, creating many colors.

In early spring (from late February to March), the terraces are decorated with lots of flowers, including pink peach blossom and white pear blossom.

Yuanyang lies at an altitude ranging from 140 meters along the Red River up to nearly 3000 meters above sea level in the Alao Mountains. The road to Yuanyang is very steep and winding. At present, the only way to get to Yuanyang is by road (private car or long distance bus).

Private Car

To reach the final destination in Yuanyang – Yuanyang Rice Terraces, China Discovery suggests you use our private car service which can make everything easy for you. No matter you come from Kunming to Yuanyang or have a stop in Jianshui first and then get to Yuanyang, you’ll enjoy worry free transfer service with your own car. If you want to arrange the private service with private car or local travel guide, please feel free to contact our professional travel consultants.

Long Distance Bus

If you are independent travelers, you usually travel from Kunming to Yuanyang directly, or travel from Jianshui to Yuanyang. Both buses arrive at Yuanyang Nansha County and Yuanyang Xinjie County. The distance between Kunming and Yuanyang is about 375 kilometers. Travelers can take long distance buses from Kunming South Bus Station to Xinjie Town at 10:20, 13:30, 19:30 and 20:00. It takes about 7 hours. The distance between Jianshui and Yuanyang is about 141 kilometers. Travelers can take long distance buses from Jianshui Bus Station to Yuanyang Nansha Station during 07:15~18:40. It takes about 3~3.5 hours.

Recommended Tour Routes

The scenery of the terraced fields in Yuanyang is at its best from November to the following April. Taking a tour to Yuanyang Terraces in winter is amazing, since the fields are full of water, composing a colorful painting. We provide tourists with some tour routes to choose.

4 Days Long Street Banquet Festival and Yuanyang Rice Terraces Photography Tour
6 Days Kunming Shadian Muslim Tour with Yuanyang Rice Terraces and Jianshui Old Town
7 Days Yunnan Muslim Culture Tour with Shadian Mosque and Yuanyang Rice Terraces

Travel Tips

1. Yuanyang lies on the Tropic of Cancer, so the climate is neither extremely hot nor cold. However, it is cooler in morning and evening, and the sun is very strong at noon. You should pay attention to sun protection. Moreover, T-shirts and shorts can be worn all year round, but you are advised to take a jacket.
2. It is very interesting to participate in a local country fair, during which the entire minority people dress in colorful ethnic costumes. It is very lively.

Introduction

Laohuzui（Tiger Mouth）Rice Terraces scenic area mainly consists of Mengpin Village, Dongfu Village, Amengkong Village, Baoshan Village and etc. It got the name due to its shape. The zigzag highway traverses the cliff of the mountainside, and beats away a breach at one corner, which presents an image of tiger mouth.

With the precipitous gradient and the grandest layout, the Terraces are featured by the strong gradation and the wonderful color. Between two mountains is the whole valley and the gradient is above 70 degrees. Under the villages are green hills and trees, running water and villages. Layers of terraces vertically drop into river valley, which is pretty grand.

What’s more, it is the best place to enjoy natural landscape, manners and customs of of Yi people.

Why Visit Laohuzui Rice Terraces?

Laohuzui Rice Terraces, also called Tiger Month Rice Terraces or Mengpin Rice Terraces, is core area of Cultural Landscape of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces, the 45th World Heritage Site of China which announced by UNESCO in 2013.

With an area of 460 hectare, Laohuzui Rice Terraces consists of Mengpin Village, Dongfu Village, Baoshanzhai Village, Amengkong Village, etc. It is the steepest, the grandest, the most magnificent Rice Terrace among all the rice terraces of Yuanyang. Besides, it has strong layering, three-dimensional sense, contrast color, making Laohuzui Rice Terrace a beautiful Chinese painting. Laohuzui Rice Terraces is the best site for SUNSET.

Recent news: Due to the collapse caused by the sudden mud-rock flow and heavy rain in Yuanyang, the Tiger Mouth Rice Terraces is temporarily closed. At present, Duoyishu scenic area and Bada scenic area are still opening to the public. We will update the news once we get the official notice of the reopening of the Tiger Mouth Rice Terraces.

Main Attractions in Laohuzui Rice Terraces

 Mengpin Village (勐品村)

Mengpin Village is in a mountain area.  Planting, cultivation and tourism are characteristic industries there. Natural beauty, rural custom and terraces make there a fantastic picture. 

Amengkong Village (阿勐控)

Looking to the west, you will see three mountains of backbone in which more than 2000 mu terraces of Amengkong stretch from the South to the West. Suddenly high or low, suddenly big or small, suddenly bending or straightening, terraces are like big dragons waving in the sunset.

Baoshan Village (保山寨)

Terraces of Baoshan Village has one of the best beauties of lines, figures and stereoscopy.  

Laohuzui Rice Terraces Sunset

Many photographers said that Laohuzui Rice Terraces has the most magnificent rural scenery. So, many travelers from home and abroad head to the remote Yuanyang for the most spectacular rice terrace scenery.

Standing on the top of Laohuzui Rice Terraces, travelers can have panoramic view of the rice paddies which presents you a blooming white flower in front of you. When the sun goes down and the light gets dim, the whole rice terraces is turning into blue as clear and bright as mirrors, and then turning into golden. When the sunglow shows, the rice paddies is turning into pink, rosy, dark red…Different color changes in a very short time and Laohuzui Rice Terraces shows you amazing rice paddies like magic.

Best Spot to View & Shoot Sunset

Viewing Decks

There are two viewing decks of Laohuzui Rice Terraces, one is located at a higher location near the road and one is located in the middle of the hill. Travelers standing at the higher viewing deck can have panoramic view of the whole Laohuzui Rice Terraces and travelers getting down to the lower viewing deck can shoot the essence of Loahuzui – sometimes like two horses galloping quickly, sometimes like millions of snakes wriggling, sometimes like a white flower blooming…

The sun goes down during 18:00~20:00 in Laohuzui Rice Terraces. In the spring time (March to May), it is usually during 19:10~19:50, in summer (June to August) at 19:25~19:57, in autumn (September to November) at 18:20~19:26 and in winter (December to February) at 18:20~19:11. If you are professional photographers, you’d better get to Bada Rice Terraces before 16:00 to find a good location (lower viewing deck is recommended) for some great pictures with rice terraces, sea of clouds and sunset.

The Best Time to Visit Laohuzui Rice Terraces

The best moment to enjoy the marvelous rice terraces view is the sunset period. In addition, the sunrise and cloud sea in Laohuzui are also very beautiful.

From November to April, the terraces are in irrigation period. Most amazing pictures on the Internet are shooted at that time. In May, the Laohuzui rice fields turn into green from yellow, right after the farmers did the rice seedlings at the end of spring. 

Location & Transportation

Laohuzui Rice Terraces is about 20 kilometers from Xinjie Town (the old town of Yuanyang), 50 kilometers from Nansha Town (the new town of Yuanyang) and about 375 kilometers from Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province. To reach Laohuzui Rice Terraces, travelers can take long distance buses to Xinjie Town or Nansha Town first and then take local minibus to this rice terraces.

Distances from Other Scenic Spots of Yuanyang

● About 5 kilometers from Bada Rice Terrace

● About 7.2 kilometers from Duoyishu Rice Terrace

● About 4.8 kilometers from Jingkou Folk Village

How to Get there?

Kunming to Yuanyang: From Kunming South Bus Station, there are direct long distance buses to Yuanyang Xinjie Town, running schedules around 10:20, 13:30, 19:30 and 20:00. There are buses at 09:05, 12:30 and 18:30 from Yuanyang Xinjie Town to Kunming. It takes about 7 hours between Kunming and Yuanyang.

Nansha Town/Xinjie Town to Bada Rice Terraces: Travelers may take long distance buses to Nansha Town or Xinjie Town from Kunming, Jianshui, and no matter which station you arrive at, travelers can take local minibus to Laohuzui Rice Terraces. It takes about 1 hour from Nansha Town to Xinjie Town and 30 minutes from Xinjie Town to Laohuzui Rice Terraces. (Please Note: It is recommended to use our private car service to reach several rice terraces including Laohuzui Rice Terrace. If you are an independent traveler, you can try to hire a local minibus to cover all the highlighted rice terraces in one day which costs around 300 Yuan per day.)

Recommended Visiting Routes

It is better to arrange two or three hours to visit Laohuzui Rice Terraces. We provide tourists with some tour routes to choose.

1. Kunming-Yuanyang(Xinjie Town)-Laohuzhui Rice Terraces

Kunming South Passenger Station: departing for Yuanyang, Xinjie Twon, at 10:20/12:30/19:00 every day, CNY 139 per, lasting 5 to 6 hours. Then you can rent a car to reach Laohuzui Rice Terraces, CNY 5~10 yuan per.

Take a chartered car: CNY 300 a day to visit around Yuanyang Rice Terraces, and about CNY 100 to get to Laohuzui Rice Terraces.  

2. Kunming-Nansa County-Xinjie Town-Laohuzhui Rice Terraces

Take the regular bus from Kunming to Nansha county, then take the mini bus to Xinjie town(CNY 10 per, departing from 7:00~20:00). From Xinjie town to the entrance of the Yuanyang Hani Rice Terraces or from the entrance to each scenic spot, you can rent a car to go, CNY 5~10 per.

3. Kunming – Jianshui/Gejiu – Yuanyang

Kunming East Passenger Station: leaving for Jianshui or Gejiu and costing CNY 85 per and 3 or 4 hours and a half. And train from Kunming to Jianshui is also available. Then you can take a regular bus to Yuanyang, CNY 16-32 per. 

Other Tour Routes

1 Day Yuanyang Hani Rice Terraces Hiking Tour from Duoyishu to Laohuzui
6 Days Kunming Yuanyang Jianshui Photography Tour with Honghe Hani Rice Terraces
10 Days Southeast Yunnan Family Tour with Ethnic Culture, Rice Terraces, Mushroom House & Butterfly Valley

Travel Tips

1. Hani Ethnic Festivals & Traditions

Hani people would celebrate some traditional festivals, like Hani New Year, Kuzhazha Festival, etc.

Hani New Year is like the Spring Festival of Han. It takes place in the first Dragon Day of the 10th lunar month each year and lasts 5 to 6 days and even as long as 13 days. Every family would prepare chicken, pork to worship their ancestors and family members gather together to enjoy the union. In the last day of the New Year, a Long Table Banquet will be arranged and tables will be laid in the street which can extend to one kilometer long. Each family will serve the most sumptuous dishes to fill up a table and enjoy the banquet together.

Kuzhazha Festival takes place from lunar June 23 to 26 and every family makes sticky rice, sets the feast, makes fresh rice and worships the ancestor.

2. Tickets

Ticket One: It is valid for 3 days. It is 100 Yuan for per person, including four scenic spots Jingkou Folk Village, Bada Rice Terraces, Duoyishu Rice Terraces and Laohuzui Rice Terraces (Tiger Mouth Rice Terraces).

Ticket Two: It is valid for 10 days. It is 180 Yuan for per person, including four scenic spots Jingkou Folk Village, Bada Rice Terraces, Duoyishu Rice Terraces and Laohuzui Rice Terraces (Tiger Mouth Rice Terraces).

Ticket Three: It belongs to annual ticket which is valid for one year. It is about 360 Yuan per person, including four scenic spots Jingkou Folk Village, Bada Rice Terraces, Duoyishu Rice Terraces and Laohuzui Rice Terraces (Tiger Mouth Rice Terraces).

3. Accommodation

There is one 3-star hotel called Yuanyang Yunti Hotel in Xinjie Town and travelers are recommended to spend your night there. Besides, there are many hostels in Xinjie Town and other scenic areas and if you want to find a hostel with basic facilities close to the scenic area, you’ve got a lot of choice.

4. Two Spots to Shoot Sunset

Laohuzui Rice Terraces has two viewing areas, one high up near the access road that has recently been enclosed by a 200-meter fence. The upper area is easy to become a noisy traffic jam before sunset, when tour buses, private cars and trucks clog the narrow road outside the other upper viewing area.

No matter which platform you choose, it is advisable to show up for at least an hour before sunset to get a good spot. There is also a lower area that can be reached after walking down a set of switchbacks. You may want to skip the lower platform if you have bad knees as the climb back up is fairly strenuous.

Other Travel tips 

The visitors usually set off to Laohuzui Rice Terraces after 4:30 pm, you can check out the time of sunset on the Internet or ask the local people.
The weather forecast of Yuanyang on the Internet may be not exact because the weather of the rice terraces area is always changeable and unpredictable. 
The temperature here varies greatly between day and night. Please pay attention to keep warm especially in early morning or at night.

Why is Longshuba Rice Terraces so special?

Longshuba Rice terraces is different from other terraces because the oxygen in the water of the fields varies from other fields which lead to the rapid growth of red duckweed. The main color of the fields are red, green and yellow. It presents its beauty vividly around the Spring Festival as the duckweed expands to the maximum range with the breathtaking beauty. The village is surrounded by the silver terraces in the sunlight. The terraces are just like a colorful palette with red, white, green, yellow and black.

Introduction of Longshuba Rice Terraces

Longshuba Village belongs to Xinjie Town, Yuanyang County, Honghe Prefecture, located in mountain area, a great place for planting rice, vegetables and various fruits. It’s 5 kilometers away from the town center. It’s famous for the red fields with red duckweed. The fields is rich in color at sunset and really worth pushing the bottom of your camera. The unique scenery at the time is extremely infectious and enjoyable. It attracts thousands of photographers flock here.

What to Do here?

1. Enjoying Rice terraces Viewpoints:

There are numerous villages that one can visit to enjoy the fabulous rice terraces in Yuanyang such as Duoyishu (for sunrise), Bada , Longshuba and Laohuzui (for sunset). They are close to the main road connecting them and can be easily and cheaply visited by either public transport or charter. From these viewpoints, the rice terraces are similarly impressive with only minor differences eg. the terraces are flatter with more mushroom-shaped thatched dwellings in Qingkou (the only village with entrance fee of 15 RMB) while the terrace plots are smaller but more packed at Laohuzui.

2. Exploring Ethnic Minority’s Culture and Life

Yuanyang boast a wide variety of ethnic minorities. Other than Han’s, Hani’s and Yi’s are the next biggest minorities; there are also Miao’s, Zhuang’s, Dai’s and so on. In fact most of the terraces in Yuanyang are carved by the Hani minority over the centuries. The Hani’s also exported the rice terrace cultivation, method and culture to the rest of South East Asia many centuries ago. Most of the minorities still go about their everyday life dressed in their traditional costumes (mainly the females). The best opportunity to see them in their splendor is during the various Market Days (see Market Day article).

Apart from rice terraces, it is just as exciting to see the various ethnic minorities, still garbed in their traditional costumes. Furthermore one can also see the various unique festivals and traditions of the minorities, especially during the lunar New Year period (see article on “Dragon Feast”)

Chinese tourists make their way in various means- be it chartered vehicles or self-drive- to the sunrise spots as early as 5am. Parked vehicles will form long lines at these places and people jostle for every vantage point to locate their tripods. It is all fun and very festive in atmosphere but the pandemonium will last only till the sun is above the horizon. People start dispersing when the sun is above the hills. The majority will head for their breakfast and then maybe another location for photography. Then it is afternoon nap before heading out to photographing sunset again. Afternoons are definitely quiet in and around Yuanyang.

3. Walking Around Yuanyang

One of the best ways to get close to the people and enjoy the views is to walk from one village to another. There are walking paths that connect all the villages, away from the main road. These paths follow the contour of the hills and some of them criss-cross the terraces. One may have to engage a guide to avoid getting lost especially since most of the villagers do not speak Putonghua. On such walks, one will be able to see the terraces in a different perspective from the road. Furthermore there are a couple of villages and viewpoints (such as 麻栗寨) that are simply breathtaking and accessible only by walking.

The Best Time to Visit Longshuba Rice Terraces

The best moment to enjoy the marvelous rice terraces view is the sunset period. In addition, the sunrise and cloud sea in Longshuba Rice Terraces are also very beautiful.

From November to April, the terraces are in irrigation period. Most amazing pictures on the Internet are shooted at that time. In May, the rice fields turn into green from yellow, right after the farmers did the rice seedlings at the end of spring. 

Nearby Attraction

Laohuzui（Tiger Mouth）Rice Terraces

Laohuzui（Tiger Mouth）Rice Terraces scenic area mainly consists of Mengpin Village, Dongfu Village, Amengkong Village, Baoshan Village and etc. It got the name due to its shape. The zigzag highway traverses the cliff of the mountainside, and beats away a breach at one corner, which presents an image of tiger mouth. With the precipitous gradient and the grandest layout, the Terraces are featured by the strong gradation and the wonderful color. Between two mountains is the whole valley and the gradient is above 70 degrees. Under the villages are green hills and trees, running water and villages. Layers of terraces vertically drop into river valley, which is pretty grand.

Bada Rice Terraces

Bada Rice Terraces Scenic Area is a bright pearl in the tourism of Yuanyang, which includes Quanfuzhuang Rice Terraces, Malizhai Rice Terraces, Bada Rice Terraces and Shangmadian Rice Terraces. There, what you can enjoy is the natural landscape, humanities and ethnic flavor of Hani people since thousands of them have been living there generation after generation.

Duoyishu Rice Terraces

Duoyishu Rice Terraces Scenic Area got its name from the local Duoyi, a beautiful place inhabited by Hani people. It is composed of Duoyishu Rice Terraces, Huangcaoling Rice Terraces, Aichun Rice Terraces and Pugaolao Village, etc. The altitude of Duoyishu Village is over 1,700 meters. The 9,700 acres’ of terraces below the village is the best spot to watch the sunrise. Early in the morning, when the bright sun comes up to the top of the mountain, sunglow lights half of the sky, and then the full mountain of terraces are glittering. It seems that the mountain is wearing such a colorful dress that it dazzles people’s eyes.

How to Get there?

Kunming to Yuanyang: From Kunming South Bus Station, there are direct long distance buses to Yuanyang Xinjie Town, running schedules around 10:20, 13:30, 19:30 and 20:00. There are buses at 09:05, 12:30 and 18:30 from Yuanyang Xinjie Town to Kunming. It takes about 7 hours between Kunming and Yuanyang.

Nansha Town/Xinjie Town to Longshuba Rice Terraces: Travelers may take long distance buses to Nansha Town or Xinjie Town from Kunming, Jianshui, and no matter which station you arrive at, travelers can take local minibus to Longshuba Rice Terraces. It takes about 1 hour from Nansha Town to Xinjie Town and 30 minutes from Xinjie Town to Longshuba Rice Terraces. (Please Note: It is recommended to use our private car service to reach several rice terraces including Longshuba Rice Terrace. If you are an independent traveler, you can try to hire a local minibus to cover all the highlighted rice terraces in one day which costs around 300 Yuan per day.)

Recommended Visiting Routes

It is better to arrange two or three hours to visit Longshuba Rice Terraces. We provide tourists with some tour routes to choose.

2 Days Yuanyang Hani Rice Terraces Tour at a glance
3 Days Yuanyang Rice Terrace Photography Group Tour
6 Days Kunming Yuanyang Jianshui Photography Tour with Honghe Hani Rice Terraces

Travel Tips

1. Hani Ethnic Festivals & Traditions

Hani people would celebrate some traditional festivals, like Hani New Year, Kuzhazha Festival, etc.

Hani New Year is like the Spring Festival of Han. It takes place in the first Dragon Day of the 10th lunar month each year and lasts 5 to 6 days and even as long as 13 days. Every family would prepare chicken, pork to worship their ancestors and family members gather together to enjoy the union. In the last day of the New Year, a Long Table Banquet will be arranged and tables will be laid in the street which can extend to one kilometer long. Each family will serve the most sumptuous dishes to fill up a table and enjoy the banquet together.

Kuzhazha Festival takes place from lunar June 23 to 26 and every family makes sticky rice, sets the feast, makes fresh rice and worships the ancestor.

2. Accommodation

There is one 3-star hotel called Yuanyang Yunti Hotel in Xinjie Town and travelers are recommended to spend your night there. Besides, there are many hostels in Xinjie Town and other scenic areas and if you want to find a hostel with basic facilities close to the scenic area, you’ve got a lot of choice.

3. Other Travel tips 

The visitors usually set off to Longshuba Rice Terraces after 4:30 pm, you can check out the time of sunset on the Internet or ask the local people.
The weather forecast of Yuanyang on the Internet may be not exact because the weather of the rice terraces area is always changeable and unpredictable. 
The temperature here varies greatly between day and night. Please pay attention to keep warm especially in early morning or at night.

Why Visit Bada Rice Terraces?

Bada Rice Terraces, a part of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces, was listed as World Heritage Site in 2013. The 950-hectare Bada Rice Terraces is like the ladders to the heaven with over 3700 levels, rising up from 800 meters to 2000 meters. Hence, the words “Vast”, “Magnificent”, “Beautiful Curved Lines” and “Stereoscopic” can be used to describe Bada Rice Terraces. There are some villages including Quanfuzhuang, Malizhai, Bada, Shangmadian surrounded by the rice terraces and travelers can have panoramic view of the beautiful villages when shooting the rice paddies.

Introduction of Bada Rice Terraces 

Bada Rice Terraces Scenic Area is a bright pearl in the tourism of Yuanyang, which includes Quanfuzhuang Rice Terraces, Malizhai Rice Terraces, Bada Rice Terraces and Shangmadian Rice Terraces. There, what you can enjoy is the natural landscape, humanities and ethnic flavor of Hani people since thousands of them have been living there generation after generation.

It is the best place to entertain the spectacular scenery with stereoscopic and curved line, and also the great attraction to have a profound knowledge, analyses and understanding of the Hani culture. With over 3700 levels, endless terraces are like ladders up to the heaven, rising up from the 800 meters of Malizhai River to 2000 meters of the summit of the mountain. Glittering and shimmering, under the sun, the Terraces are just like a mysterious wonderland.

Bada Rice Terraces Magnificent Sunset (Highlights)

The words “Magnificent”, “Spectacular”, “Grand” cannot express “Bada Rice Terraces” fully. At the dusk, when the sun shines on the 950 hectares rice paddies rising from 800 meters to 2000 meters, the magnificent scene forms, like the latters toward heaven. In the winter time after autumn harvest, the rice terraces are filled with water and when sunset glow shines upon the paddies, the 3700 level terraces first turns pink, then rosy and later dark red, pink, golden and white….The sea of clouds over Bada Rice Terraces add more mysterious feel and when standing on the top of the rice paddies and looking down and around, you only have to say “This is the most spectacular rice paddies I have ever seen”. That’s the magic of Bada Rice Terraces.

Best Spot to View & Shoot Sunset

Viewing Decks

Bada Rice Terraces has two viewing decks that offer views at similar heights but different lateral perspectives. One viewing platform faces the sun directly and when you take pictures of the rice paddies, the ridges of the rice terraces line in vertical scene. While, the other viewing platform offers side view of the spectacular rice paddies. There is a footpath from the first viewing deck leading to the second viewing deck. Travelers or photographers can try both locations to photograph amazing pictures.

The sun goes down during 18:00~20:00. In the spring time (March to May), it is usually during 19:10~19:50, in summer (June to August) at 19:25~19:57, in autumn (September to November) at 18:20~19:26 and in winter (December to February) at 18:20~19:11. If you are professional photographers, you’d better get to Bada Rice Terraces at 16:00 and find a good location for some great pictures with rice terraces, sea of clouds, Hani villages and sunset.

Best Time to Visit Bada Rice Terraces

Travelers can come all the year round and for photographers, the best time is from November to March of next year.

Dusk: At dusk, it’s best to appreciate Bada Rice Terraces. When the sun shines on the rice paddies of 950 hectares from 800 meters to 2000 meters, the amazing view may shock or thrill you.

Winter: Visiting Bada Rice Terraces in winter is definitely a perfect trip. The rice terraces are full of water after autumn harvest; when sunset glows softly upon the paddies, the terraces first turns pink, then rosy and later dark red, pink, golden and white at length. 

Location & Transportation

Bada Rice Terraces is about 16 kilometers from Xinjie Town (the old town), 46 kilometers from Nansha Town (the new town) and about 375 kilometers from Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province. Travelers can take bus from Kunming to Yuanyang Xinjie Town or Nansha Town first and then transfer to Bada Rice Terrace from Xinjie Town by local minibus.

Distances from Other Scenic Spots of Yuanyang

● About 5 kilometers from Laohuzui Rice Terrace

● About 2.7 kilometers from Duoyishu Rice Terrace

● About 2.5 kilometers from Jingkou Folk Village

How to Get there?

Kunming to Yuanyang: From Kunming South Bus Station, there are direct long distance buses to Yuanyang Xinjie Town, running schedules around 10:20, 13:30, 19:30 and 20:00. There are buses at 09:05, 12:30 and 18:30 from Yuanyang Xinjie Town to Kunming. It takes about 7 hours between Kunming and Yuanyang.

Nansha Town/Xinjie Town to Bada Rice Terraces: Travelers may take long distance buses to Nansha Town or Xinjie Town from Kunming, Jianshui, and no matter which station you arrive at, travelers can take local minibus to Bada Rice Terraces. It takes about 1 hour from Nansha Town to Xinjie Town and 20 minutes from Xinjie Town to Bada Rice Terraces.

Recommended Visiting Routes

It is better to arrange two or three hours to visit Bada Rice Terraces, we provides tourists with some tour routes to choose.

1. Kunming-Yuanyang(Xinjie Town)-Bada Rice Terraces

Kunming South Passenger Station: departing for Yuanyang, Xinjie Twon, at 10:20/12:30/19:00 every day, CNY 139 per, lasting 5 to 6 hours. Then you can rent a car to reach Laohuzui Rice Terraces, CNY 5~10 yuan per.

Take a chartered car: CNY 300 a day to visit around Yuanyang Rice Terraces, and about CNY 100 to get to Laohuzui Rice Terraces.  

2. Kunming-Nansa County-Xinjie Town-Bada Rice Terraces

Take the regular bus from Kunming to Nansha county, then take the mini bus to Xinjie town(CNY 10 per, departing from 7:00~20:00). From Xinjie town to the entrance of the Yuanyang Hani Rice Terraces or from the entrance to each scenic spot, you can rent a car to go, CNY 5~10 per.

3. Kunming – Jianshui/Gejiu – Yuanyang

Kunming East Passenger Station: leaving for Jianshui or Gejiu and costing CNY 85 per and 3 or 4 hours and a half. And train from Kunming to Jianshui is also available. Then you can take a regular bus to Yuanyang, CNY 16-32 per. 

Other Tour Routes

1 Day Yuanyang Bada Hani Rice Terraces Hiking Tour
6 Days XishuangBanna Tea Mountain Hiking Tour to Bada, Zhanglang, Xiding and Nannuo Tea Mountain

Travel Tips

1. Two Spots to Shoot Sunset

Bada Rice Terraces has two viewing decks that offer views at similar heights but different lateral perspectives. One viewing platform is faced with the sun directly so when you take photos of the rice paddies, the ridges of the rice terraces are in vertical scene. The other platform displays the side view of paddies. Between two viewing decks, there is a footpath. Either of them is a good choice for photographers.

2. Hani Ethnic Festivals & Traditions

Hani people would celebrate some traditional festivals, like Hani New Year, Kuzhazha Festival, etc.

Hani New Year is like the Spring Festival of Han. It takes place in the first Dragon Day of the 10th lunar month each year and lasts 5 to 6 days and even as long as 13 days. Every family would prepare chicken, pork to worship their ancestors and family members gather together to enjoy the union. In the last day of the New Year, a Long Table Banquet will be arranged and tables will be laid in the street which can extend to one kilometer long. Each family will serve the most sumptuous dishes to fill up a table and enjoy the banquet together.
Kuzhazha Festival takes place from lunar June 23 to 26 and every family makes sticky rice, sets the feast, makes fresh rice and worships the ancestor.

3. Tickets

Ticket One: It is valid for 3 days. It is 100 Yuan for per person, including four scenic spots Jingkou Folk Village, Bada Rice Terraces, Duoyishu Rice Terraces and Laohuzui Rice Terraces (Tiger Mouth Rice Terraces).

Ticket Two: It is valid for 10 days. It is 180 Yuan for per person, including four scenic spots Jingkou Folk Village, Bada Rice Terraces, Duoyishu Rice Terraces and Laohuzui Rice Terraces (Tiger Mouth Rice Terraces).

Ticket Three: It belongs to annual ticket which is valid for one year. It is about 360 Yuan per person, including four scenic spots Jingkou Folk Village, Bada Rice Terraces, Duoyishu Rice Terraces and Laohuzui Rice Terraces (Tiger Mouth Rice Terraces).

4. Accommodation

There is one 3-star hotel called Yuanyang Yunti Hotel in Xinjie Town and travelers are recommended to spend your night there. Besides, there are many hostels in Xinjie Town and other scenic areas and if you want to find a hostel with basic facilities close to the scenic area, you’ve got a lot of choice.

5. Others travel tips

The weather forecast of Yuanyang on the Internet may be not exact because the weather of the rice terraces area is always changeable and unpredictable. 
The temperature here varies greatly between day and night. Please pay attention to keep warm especially in early morning and at night.

Introduction

Walk from Yuanyang Xinjie Town into Yuanyang Terraced Fields, Qingkou Rice Terraces is at the first sight. The viewing deck of Qingkou Rice Terraces is by the highway. It covers an area of almost 10000mu. The field is just like a sea with twinkling water ripples and it changes all the time. The fields descend down layer by layer. The ridges of the fields show a exquisite outlines of the fields with large-scale red duckweed which makes the fields colorful. The beauty of the terraces are beyond words.

Forest, streams, Villages and terraces are what Hani people cherish. They till the land not to conquer the nature but to accept the “gift” given by God and strike for the harmony of human and nature. Thus, they can create the masterpiece- terraces.

Tranditional & Ethnic Village

Qingkou is a typical Hani Village, which consists of 150 families and has a population of 800 of Hani ethnic minority.This Hani village is mainly presents the common characteristics of the Hani Terraced Fields culture. It maintain an integrated ecosystem among the forest, water system, villages and terraced field. Having been properly exploiting and comprehensively using the natural resources for hundreds of years, it is regarded as a model village in promoting the agricultural development. It not only protects its ecological balance but also promotes its development and civilization. There is also a museum established to showcase the history and culture of Hani people.

The village is shrouded in luxuriant forests where you can here the humming birds and cicadas in summer and experience the primitiveness.Walking around the village along the stone path, you can see the change of time as well as the local unchanged life on magnificent terrace fields. The earth-made houses on the both side of path are well ranked, whose housetop looks like a big mushroom. These houses are called mushroom houses, which are the traditional residences of Hani people. They are comprised of earth-made walls, bamboo or wood frameworks and straw housetops.

The Best Time to Visit Qingkou Hani Rice Terraces

The best moment to enjoy the marvelous rice terraces view is the sunset period. In addition, the sunrise and cloud sea in Laohuzui are also very beautiful.

From November to April, the terraces are in irrigation period. Most amazing pictures on the Internet are shooted at that time. In May, the rice fields turn into green from yellow, right after the farmers did the rice seedlings at the end of spring.

How to Get there?

1. You can take the regular bus from Kunming to Yuanyang in Kunming South Passenger Station at 10:20/12:30/19:00 every day, CNY 139 per, lasting 5 to 6 hours.

2. You can take the regular bus from Kunming to Nansha county then take the mini bus to Xinjie town(CNY 10 per, departing from 7:00~20:00). From Xinjie town to the entrance of the Yuanyang Hani Rice Terraces or from the entrance to each scenic spot, you can rent a car to go, CNY 5~10 yuan per.

3. Or you can choose another route to get to Yuanyang: Kunming – Jianshui/Gejiu – Yuanyang.

Recommended Visiting Routes

It is better to arrange two or three hours to visit Rice Terraces. We provide tourists with some tour routes to choose.

3 Days Jianshui and Yuanyang Hani Rice Terraces Group Tour
6 Days Kunming Yuanyang Jianshui Photography Tour with Honghe Hani Rice Terraces
8 Days Yunnan Photography Tour with Dongchuan Red Land and Yuanyang Hani Rice Terraces

Travel Tips

Ticket

• The day ticket is CNY 100 (including Duoyishu, Bada, Laohuzui Scenic Areas and Jingkou Folk village).
• The through ticket is CNY 180 ( you can visit the above four scenic areas in ten days of validity).
• The annual ticket is CNY 360 ( you can visit the above four scenic areas in one year of validity).

Accommodation:

There are many hostels in Xinjie Town. If you arrange your accommodation in Xinjie Town, you should take a mini bus to arrive at each scenic area. Apart from Xinjie town, you can also stay at Duoyishu Rice Terraces Scenic Area and Shengcun Village where various hostels and inns are located. The hostel are decorated in Hani ethnic style and offer great chance to view the beautiful rice terraces through windows.

Other Travel tips

The visitors usually set off to Laohuzui Rice Terraces after 4:30 pm, you can check out the time of sunset on the Internet or ask the local people.
The weather forecast of Yuanyang on the Internet may be not exact because the weather of the rice terraces area is always changeable and unpredictable.
The temperature here varies greatly between day and night. Please pay attention to keep warm especially in early morning or at night.

Why Visit Duoyishu Rice Terraces?

Duoyishu Rice Terraces, part of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces, was listed as World Heritage Site in 2013. This scenic area is the best site to watch sunrise over the vast rice paddies, sea of clouds and enjoy harmonious Hani folk life.

There is a ballad going in Yuanyang “If you travel to Yunnan, you should go to Yuanyang for the rice terrace together with the sea of clouds make it a mysterious wonderland”. If you come to Yuanyang, you should never miss Duoyishu Rice Terraces for the amazing sunrise which makes you never want to leave. Duoyishu Rice Terraces, part of Honghe Rice Terraces, was listed as World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2013. It is marked by spectacular terraces that cascade down the slopes of towering Aliao Mountain to the banks of the Hong River. Over the past 1300 years, the Hani people have developed a complex system of channels to bring water from the forested mountaintops to terraces. The rice terraces is a testimonial to demonstrate extraordinary harmony between Hani people and their environment, both visually and ecologically.

Duoyishu Rice Terraces scenic area has 400 hectare which is composed of Huangcaoling, Duoyishu, Aichun, Dawazhe, etc. When the sun rises over the surrounded mountains, the rice terraces change its color into golden, shining brilliantly. The mysterious sea of clouds, special mushroom houses and beautiful rice paddies and working Hani people are very harmony.

Introduction 

Duoyishu Rice Terraces Scenic Area got its name from the local Duoyi, a beautiful place inhabited by Hani people. It is composed of Duoyishu Rice Terraces, Huangcaoling Rice Terraces, Aichun Rice Terraces and Pugaolao Village, etc. The altitude of Duoyishu Village is over 1,700 meters. The 9,700 acres’ of terraces below the village is the best spot to watch the sunrise.

Early in the morning, when the bright sun comes up to the top of the mountain, sunglow lights half of the sky, and then the full mountain of terraces are glittering. It seems that the mountain is wearing such a colorful dress that it dazzles people’s eyes.

The terraces here are always lost in the cloud and mist. The sea of clouds appears hither and thither and varies quickly. It is over the high mountain and on the next moment, it suddenly disappears without a trace. In the process of waiting, you will marvel at the extremely wonderful scenery and natural masterpiece, and you will be thrilled at the hard work of generations of Hani people.

Duoyishu Rice Terraces Amazing Sunrise (Highlight)

Duoyishu Rice Terraces is the best site to watch sunrise over the rice fields. In the early morning, the sunglow appears splendidly over the mountains and just a few minutes later, the gentle sun begins to show up and rise slowly over the top of the mountains. When the sun rises up the 6000-mu Duoyishu Rice Terraces, the whole villages turns bright and the vast rice terraces look like a mirror, radiating the rays of golden light. What makes Duoyishu sunrise the most beautiful is not only the golden rice terraces, but also the mysterious sea of cloud and Hani people’s mushroom-like houses. No matter you are photographers or not, catch the best moment to keep the amazing Duoyishu Rice Terrace sunrise with your camera.

Best Spot to View & Shoot Sunrise

Viewing Decks

There are two view decks of Duoyishu Rice Terraces, one is located on the top of the Pugao Old Village, close to the Duoyishu Ticket Booth and the other one is located in Pugao Old Village, very close to the rice terraces. It is suggested that use the higher viewing deck to watch the sun rises over the mountain and photograph the brilliant rice terrace scene. And if you have more time, you can take a walk down to the village and reach the lower deck to catch more beautiful scenery. From the lower deck, travelers can hike down the paddy rice terraces and have more memorable time in the mysterious village.

The sun rises up during 06:00~07:30 and usually around 07:00 in the spring time. If you are professional photographers, you’d better get up at 05:00 and arrive at the viewing decks around 05:30 to find a good location. Otherwise, travelers can come around 06:30.

Photography Suggestions

To capture the magnificent Duoyishu Rice Terrace, it is good to use wide angle (14mm~24mm, 17mm~35mm) and telephoto lenses (70mm~200mm or above). A tripod and lens hood will make your pictures perfect when shooting sunrise over the rice paddies. Also, polarizer and gradual change grey color lenses will help you get better terrace pictures. The weather of Duoyishu changes a lot and it is good to take waterproofing and damp proofing measure. And you’d better ask more advice from your photography guide.

Best Time to Visit Duoyishu Rice Terraces

November to Next April: The best season to visit is from November to next April because the terraces are in irrigation period at that time. Both season has its own charm in Duoyishu Rice Terraces. In spring, local Hani people and cattle are working in the fields, and the whole terraces turn into green. In summer, the sea of clouds over the rice terraces is changeable but more charming.

Recommended Visiting Routes

It is better to arrange 2 or 3 hours to visit Duoyishu Rice Terraces, we provide tourists with some tour routes to choose.

1. Nansha Town/Xinjie Town to Duoyishu Rice Terraces: Travelers may take long distance buses to Nansha Town or Xinjie Town from Kunming, Jianshui, and no matter which station you arrive at, travelers can take local minibus to Duoyishu Rice Terraces. It takes about 1 hour from Nansha Town to Xinjie Town and 0.5 hour from Xinjie Town to Duoyishu Rice Terraces.

2. Kunming-Nansa County-Xinjie Town-Bada Rice Terraces

Take the regular bus from Kunming to Nansha county, then take the mini bus to Xinjie town(CNY 10 per, departing from 7:00~20:00). From Xinjie town to the entrance of the Yuanyang Hani Rice Terraces or from the entrance to each scenic spot, you can rent a car to go, CNY 5~10 per.

3.Kunming – Jianshui/Gejiu – Yuanyang

Kunming East Passenger Station: leaving for Jianshui or Gejiu and costing CNY 85 per and 3 or 4 hours and a half. And train from Kunming to Jianshui is also available. Then you can take a regular bus to Yuanyang, CNY 16-32 per. 

Other Tour Routs

1 Day Yuanyang Hani Rice Terraces Hiking Tour from Duoyishu to Laohuzui
1 Day Yuanyang Duoyishu Hani Rice Terraces Hiking Tour with Hani,Yi Ethnic Villages and Mushroom Houses
3 Days Yuanyang Rice Terrace Photography Group Tour

Location & Transportation

Duoyishu Rice Terraces is about 27 kilometers from Xinjie Town, 57kilometers from Nansha Town and about 375 kilometers from Kunming. Travelers can take bus from Kunming to Yuanyang Xinjie Town (the old town) or Nansha Town (the new town) first and then transfer to Duoyishu Rice Terrace from Xinjie Town by local minibus.

Distances from Other Scenic Spots of Yuanyang

● About 7.2 kilometers from Laohuzui Rice Terrace

● About 2.7 kilometers from Bada Rice Terrace

● About 5 kilometers from Jingkou Folk Village

How to Get there?

Kunming to Yuanyang: From Kunming South Bus Station, there are direct long distance buses to Yuanyang Xinjie Town, running schedules around 10:20, 13:30, 19:30 and 20:00. There are buses at 09:05, 12:30 and 18:30 from Yuanyang Xinjie Town to Kunming. It takes about 7 hours between Kunming and Yuanyang.

Nansha Town/Xinjie Town to Duoyishu Rice Terraces: Travelers may take long distance buses to Nansha Town or Xinjie Town from Kunming, Jianshui, and no matter which station you arrive at, travelers can take local minibus to Duoyishu Rice Terraces. It takes about 1 hour from Nansha Town to Xinjie Town and 0.5 hour from Xinjie Town to Duoyishu Rice Terraces.

Useful Travel Tips

1. Hani Ethnic Festivals & Traditions

Hani people would celebrate some traditional festivals, like Hani New Year, Kuzhazha Festival, etc.

Hani New Year is like the Spring Festival of Han. It takes place in the first Dragon Day of the 10th lunar month each year and lasts 5 to 6 days and even as long as 13 days. Every family would prepare chicken, pork to worship their ancestors and family members gather together to enjoy the union. In the last day of the New Year, a Long Table Banquet will be arranged and tables will be laid in the street which can extend to one kilometer long. Each family will serve the most sumptuous dishes to fill up a table and enjoy the banquet together.

Kuzhazha Festival takes place from lunar June 23 to 26 and every family makes sticky rice, sets the feast, makes fresh rice and worships the ancestor.

2. Tickets

Ticket One: It is valid for 3 days. It is 100 Yuan for per person, including four scenic spots Jingkou Folk Village, Bada Rice Terraces, Duoyishu Rice Terraces and Laohuzui Rice Terraces (Tiger Mouth Rice Terraces).

Ticket Two: It is valid for 10 days. It is 180 Yuan for per person, including four scenic spots Jingkou Folk Village, Bada Rice Terraces, Duoyishu Rice Terraces and Laohuzui Rice Terraces (Tiger Mouth Rice Terraces).

Ticket Three: It belongs to annual ticket which is valid for one year. It is about 360 Yuan per person, including four scenic spots Jingkou Folk Village, Bada Rice Terraces, Duoyishu Rice Terraces and Laohuzui Rice Terraces (Tiger Mouth Rice Terraces).

3. Accommodation

There are many hostels in Duoyishi Scenic Area and some are very close to the higher viewing decks with several minutes’ walking and some are close to the lower viewing deck in Pugao Old Village. For travelers who want to photograph, it is better to stay around the higher viewing decks. In Xinjie Old Town, there is only one 3-star hotel called Yuanyang Yunti Hotel. If you book Yuanyang Rice Terrace tour with us, you can feel free to use our private car service to transfer to Duiyishu Rice Terrace for the amazing sunrise.

4. Others Travel Tips:

The visitors usually set off to Duoyishu Scenic Area in early morning. If you would like to find a good place to shoot the sunrise, you had better get up earlier.
The temperature here varies greatly between day and night. Please pay attention to keep warm especially in early morning or at night.

Chinese Name:麻栗寨梯田
English Name: Malizhai Rice Terraces in Yuanyang County, Honghe
Keywords: Custom and Culture of Hani People, Natural Landscape
Location: 15 kilometers far from the east of Xinjie town of Yuanyang county, Honghe
Rice Terraces Area: about 582 hectare
Admission Fee:￥100

‣ About Malizhai Rice Terraces Scenic Area

Malizhai Rice Terraces Scenic Area(麻栗寨景区梯田) mainly consists of Quanfuzhuang Rice Terraces, Bada Rice Terraces, Malizhai Rice Terraces, Shangmadian Rice Terraces and Mali Village. There are 17 natural villages, 1910 households and 10244 people in the whole scenic area. Visitors can appreciate rice terraces, sea of clouds and buildings of Hani people here because Malizhai Rice Terraces Scenic Area is the central area to comprehend, study and experience Hani’s culture.

Mali Village（麻栗寨）is famous for the colorful terrace in such a high altitude. Visitors can stand on the high position to take a bird-eye view of the large scale of the terrace field. The terrace is like mirrors on the mountain when reflecting the sunshine. Especially after 4 o’ clock in the afternoon, with the sunset dipping below the horizon, the surfaces of the terrace turn into pink, red and again pink, finally white.

It is situated on the plateau of an altitude of 1, 600m; the cloud twines among the mountains for over 200 days in a year. The Mali Village is absolutely the holy land to the shutterbug. In the morning and afternoon, sometimes there will even be three layers of cloud.

About Qingkou Hani Ethnic Village

Qingkou is a typical Hani Village, which consists of 150 families and has a population of 800 of Hani people. Yuanyang Hani Rice Terraces and sea of clouds have their own distinctive features. The 190,000 mu amazing Hani Rice Terraces left by Hani ethnic minorities is called “sculpture in the earth” and “the Wonders of the World”，”elegant demeanor of China” as well. The terraces peacefully lay on the mountains, which forms a set of poetic picturesque picture scroll of nature beauty.

Why is Qingkou Hani Ethnic Village so special?

It maintains an integrated ecosystem among the forest, water system, villages and terraced field. Having been properly exploiting and comprehensively using the natural resources for hundreds of years, it is regarded as a model village in promoting the agricultural development. It not only protects its ecological balance but also promotes its development and civilization. There is also a museum established to display the history and culture of Hani people.

Ethnic Culture in Qingkou Village

Hani Festivals

Hani people would celebrate some traditional festivals, like Hani New Year, Kuzhazha Festival, etc.

1. Hani New Year: Hani New Year is like the Spring Festival of Han. It takes place in the first Dragon Day of the 10th lunar month each year and lasts 5 to 6 days and even as long as 13 days. Every family would prepare chicken, pork to worship their ancestors and family members gather together to enjoy the union. In the last day of the New Year, a Long Table Banquet will be arranged and tables will be laid in the street which can extend to one kilometer long. Each family will serve the most sumptuous dishes to fill up a table and enjoy the banquet together.

2. Kuzhazha (苦扎扎节): Kuzhazha Festival takes place from lunar June 23 to 26 and every family makes sticky rice, sets the feast, makes fresh rice and worships the ancestor.

Hani Residence

 Walking around the village along the stone path, you can see the change of time as well as the local unchanged life on magnificent terrace fields. The earth-made houses on the both side of path are well ranked, whose housetop looks like a big mushroom. These houses are called mushroom houses, which are the traditional residences of Hani people. They are comprised of earth-made walls, bamboo or wood frameworks and straw housetops.

How to Get there?

Qingkou Village is away from the south of Xinjie town with 6 kilometers. There are three routes to get Qingkou Village from Kunming. We provide you with detailed information.

1. Kunming-Yuanyang-Qingkou Hani Ethnic Village

Kunming South Passenger Station: departing for Yuanyang at 10:20/12:30/19:00 every day, CNY 139 per, lasting 5 to 6 hours. Then you can rent a car to reach Qingkou Hani Ethnic Village, CNY 5~10 yuan per.

Take a chartered car: CNY 300 a day to visit around Yuanyang Rice Terraces, and about CNY 100 to get to Qingkou Hani Ethnic Rice Terraces.  

2. Kunming-Nansa County-Xinjie Town-Bada Rice Terraces

Take the regular bus from Kunming to Nansha county, then take the mini bus to Xinjie town(CNY 10 per, departing from 7:00~20:00). From Xinjie town to the entrance of the Yuanyang Hani Rice Terraces or from the entrance to each scenic spot, you can rent a car to go, CNY 5~10 per.

3. Kunming – Jianshui/Gejiu – Yuanyang

Kunming East Passenger Station: leaving for Jianshui or Gejiu and costing CNY 85 per and 3 or 4 hours and a half. And train from Kunming to Jianshui is also available. Then you can take a regular bus to Yuanyang, CNY 16-32 per. 

Distances from Others Scenic Areas in Yuanyang:

• Duoyishu Rice Terraces: about 5 kilometers
• Bada Rice Terraces: about 2.5 kilometers
• Laohuzui Rice Terraces: about 4.8 kilometers

Travel Tips

1. Accommodation: There are many hostels in Xinjie Town. If you arrange your accommodation in Xinjie Town, you should take a mini bus to arrive at each scenic area. Apart from Xinjie town, you can also stay at Duoyishu Rice Terraces Scenic Area and Shengcun Village where various hostels and inns are located. The hostels are decorated in Hani ethnic style and offer great chance to view the beautiful rice terraces through windows.

2. About Tickets: The day ticket is CNY 100 (including Duoyishu, Bada, Laohuzui Scenic Areas and Qingkou Folk village). The through ticket is CNY 180 (you can visit the above four scenic areas in ten days of validity). The annual ticket is CNY 360 (you can visit the above four scenic areas in one year of validity).

3. Weather: The temperature here varies greatly between day and night. Please pay attention to keep warm especially in early morning and at night.

About National Wetland Park of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces

China’s State Forestry Administration officially awarded a title of National Wetland Park to Honghe Hani Terrace together with other 31 wetland parks in China, according to a conference that was held in Shandong province. Honghe Hani Terrace, covering an area of 13,011.57 hectares, spans 4 counties in Honghe prefecture. The 4 counties contain Yuanyang(元阳), Honghe(红河), Lvchun(绿春), and Jinping(金平). 

The Hani terrace, which has been ploughed for over 1,300 years, is a large granary continuously providing rice and aquatic products for local people. The terrace exerted important wetland functions in the locality. It helps to adjust climates, conserve water and land, prevent landslide, and maintain diversities of animals and plants.

The terrace, having created agricultural ecological wonders for thousand years, will be elaborately managed in a level of National Wetland Park.

Human Landscape

Hani, Yi, Miao, Yao, Dai, Lahu, Buyi and Han ethnic groups live in the Hani terrace reserve. The Hani population accounts for more than half of the total population. The territory of the harmony of all nationalities live together. The Hani terrace is vast and magnificent, with spring ploughing and autumn harvest.The cultural anthropologist praised the combination of national culture and natural ecology as the model of ingenious combination of national culture and natural ecology.

How to Get there? 

National Wetland Park of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces is located in the south bank of Honghe River. Tourists should go Yuanyang County first. There are three main modes of transportation to Yuanyang County from Kunming: long-distance bus, train and self-driving. When you arrive at Yuanyang County, you can take bus No.85, 124, 12, 84, 117, 95 or self-driving to National Wetland Park.

Travel Tips

1. Telephone number of National Wetland Park scenic spot is 0873-5620163.

2. Best time to visit: January-February. Winter is the most beautiful. Winter is the small peak season to visit terraces in Yuanyang, but even in winter, the average temperature can reach 12 degrees. In winter, the sunrise and sunset of the terrace in Yuanyang are beautiful, and the fairyland created by the sea of clouds is even more compelling.

About Ailao Mountain and Rice Terrace

Ailao(哀牢) region is steep with high mountains and deep valley, the elevation changes between 600 meters and 3000 meters, forming a three-dimensional climate of cold temperate zone, subtropic and tropic. The stories of Hani people are hidden in the rolling mountains. Hani people with strong perseverance have created the world-renowned and magnificent rice terrace in Ailao mountain. This land not merely gives Hani people material needs, but also gives us a beautiful place of art.

Hani Rice Terrace in Yuanjiang County

The Yuanjiang(元江) Ailao rice terraces are mainly concentrated in Yangjie Township(羊街乡) and Nanuo Township(那诺乡), among which Nanuo rice terrace is the most spectacular.

1. Nanuo Rice Terraces那诺梯田 

Nanuo rice terraces, located in Yuanjiang county of Yunnan province, the south central of Ailao mountain, are a masterpiece of Hani people. Nanuo rice terraces vary with mountain and terrains, and are suitable for the local conditions. Nanuo rice terraces are grand and magnificent, stretching throughout the whole south central Ailao mountains. They are the gateway of the Hani rice terraces in Yunnan. Departing from Nanuo Rice Terrace, all the way towards south, you will open the gate to Honghe County Rice Terraces, Yuanyang Rice Terraces and Lvchun Rice Terraces. The main scenic spots of Nanuo Rice Terrace include A Lang Bang Ke(阿郎邦克), Village Affection(山寨情), Terraces Family(梯田人家), Shuangru Terrace(双乳田), Damang(打芒) and Mailong(麦拢), etc. If you drive up the winding mountain road and enter the deep Ailao mountain, the vast terraces will appear in front of you, which can make you suddenly enlightened. It is like you get into another world. This is Nanuo Rice Terrace, the gateway of the Hani rice terraces. It is also the first stop to enter the world heritage core reserve.

More information about Nanuo Rice Terrace.

2. Yangjie Rice Terraces羊街梯田

There is a place named Yangjie Township(羊街乡) in Yuanjiang County of Yunnan Province, is the habitation of Yeche People(叶车人 A branch of Hani minority). Yangjie Township is located in the Ailao Mountain. With high mountain and deep valley, as well the altitude changes between 600 meters and 3000 meters, Ailao mountain forms a three-dimensional climate of cold temperate zone, subtropic and tropic, brings abundant rainfall and spectacular cloud sea, as well as moistens the magnificent rice terraces in the Ailao Mountain. Yangjie rice terraces wind and stretch along the mountain, tier upon tier, like silver staircases, connecting several mountains together. The rice terraces are the most beautiful scenery here.

Best Time to Visit

Although Ailao Rice Terrace scenery in Yuanjiang County are different in four seasons, November to the following April is the best time to visit the rice terraces. Whether you can capture sunrise, sunset and cloud sea landscape depends on the weather during that time. Therefore, if you have high requirements for photography, you can reserve enough time to stay there.

How to Get There

If you want to go to Ailao Rice Terrace in Yuanjiang County, you have to go to Yuanjiang County of Yuxi first. When you are there in Yuanjiang county, you will transfer there to Yangjie Township(羊街乡) and Nanuo Township(那诺乡). You can choose to take regular bus or minibus from Yuanjiang county to Yangjie Township and Nanuo Township.

Kunming South Bus Station-Yuanjiang Bus Terminal

Departure Time: 9:00, 12:00, 15:20, 16:30, 18:00, 19:30

Price: 90 CNY

Distance: 231 kilometers

Consume Time: About 3 hours

Yuangjiang County-Nanuo Bus Terminal

There are few buses from Yuanjiang bus terminal to Nanuo bus terminal.

Departure Time: 7:30, 8:00, 9:00, 13:00

Price: 23 CNY

Distance: 66 kilometers

Consume Time: About 2 hours

Accommodation in Yuangjiang County

You can stay overnight in Yangjie Township or Nanuo Township. You can also go back to Yuanjiang County for overnight. Accommodation in Yuanjiang County is relatively good. Here are several recommended hotels.

1. Yuanjiang Hotel元江大酒店

Address: No.2, Hongqi Road, Lijiang Town, Yuangjiang County, Yuxi玉溪市元江县澧江镇红旗路2号

Tel: 0877-6012888

Starting Price: 185 CNY

2. U HOTEL元江优家酒店

Address: No.118, Wenhua Road, Yuanjiang County, Yuxi玉溪市元江县文化路118号

Tel: 0877-6559900

Starting Price: 60 CNY

3. Dayu Jinyuan Hotel元江大宇金源酒店

Address: Wenhua Road, Yuanjiang County, Yuxi玉溪市元江县文化路

Tel: 0877-6515555

Starting Price: 105 CNY

Useful Travel Tips

1. Ailao Rice Terrace in Yuanjiang County is high in elevation, ultraviolet ray is strong on sunny days, you’d better bring sun cream. sunglasses, sun hat and other sunscreen products.

2. With large temperature difference between daytime and night, it is easy to develop a cold, therefore, you are suggested to bring coats and some cold medicine.

3. Compared with Honghe Hani Rice Terrace, Ailao Rice Terrace in Yuanjiang County is remote, not many people are familiar with it. However, like Honghe Hani Rice Terrace, the beauty of the Ailao rice terraces is pure, they are the painstaking efforts of Hani people for hundreds of years.

Chinese Name: 红河元阳勐品梯田
English Name: Mengpin Rice Terraces in Yuanyang County, Honghe
Keywords: Hani folk culture and buildings, the terraces
Location: located in the south of Yuanyang County Center
Admission Fee: ¥100
Opening Hours: All Day Long
About Pugao Laozhai Village in Yuanyang County

Mengpin Rice Terraces tourism area is located in the south of Yuanyang County Center, 20 kilometers away from Xinjie Town. The main attractions are Laohuzui Rice Terraces, Amengkong Rice Terraces, Baoshanzhai Rice Terraces, Mengnong Chieftain Palace and Mengpin Ancient Prose. It’s combined with the natural landscape and culture landscape, a nice place to study Yi culture, the local economy and customs.

It cover an area of 3000mu with various shapes fields. It gets more beautiful in the sun, the water in the fields twinkles just like stars. The lines of the fields are exquisite, which shapes the fields elegant and stereoscopic. it’s really a god-given visual feast. It’s said by photographers that it’s the most splendid natural landscape and reported by a France Newspaper in 1993.