6 Days Kunming Jianshui Yuanyang Hani Rice Terraces Photography Tour

Yuanyang County is renowned for its Yuanyang Hani Rice Terraces, a part of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces, sculpted by bare hands by the Hani people one thousand years ago, transforming a barren valley into a humid Eden; perfect for rice crops. The 1000 m of mountain slopes of terraces is still in use today, claiming to be the world’s most spectacular and extensive terraces. It is a self sustaining ecosystem and a perfect example of a symbiosis with nature. Discoverd by French tourists last century, Yuanyang Hani Rice Terraces are the most popular destination in south Yunnan Province. Different from the Longji Rice Terraces, the Yuanyang Rice Terraces do not have so many layers, but they are outstanding for their grandiose area with shallower slopes. If you do not have enough time, you can choose 3 Days Yuanyang Hani Rice Terraces Photography Tour from Kunming as a short visit of Jianshui and Yuanyang.

Highlights:

  • Trekking along Yuanyang Hani Rice Terraces and have a bird view the overwhelming landscape.
  • Step into ethnic villages to experience Hani Culture and their authentic life.
  • Lose yourself into the enthralling sunrise view of Duoyishu Rice Terraces and sunset view of Laohuzui.
  • Explore Jianshui Ancient Town and experience the confucius culture in Jianshui Confucius Temple.

Brief Itinerary

  • Day 1: Kunming Arrival
  • Day 2: Kunming – Jianshui
  • Day 3: Jianshui – Yuanyang
  • Day 4: Yuanyang
  • Day 5: Yuanyang – The Stone Forest – Kunming
  • Day 6: Kunming Departure

Google Map

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 Kunming Arrival

Sightseeing and Activities:Kunming Arrival
Accommodation: Kunming
Meals: Lunch

You’ll begin your journey to the diverse and captivating province of Yunnan from the capital city, Kunming. Upon arrival at the Kunming International Airport, meet your local guide and transfer to the hotel. You will take a leisurely stroll along the Green Lake, a charming area of teahouses and small boutiques selling handicrafts and beautiful local paintings. If time permits, you will have a Kunming city tour. 

Day 2 Kunming -Jianshui

Sightseeing and Activities:Tuanshan Village, Garden of Family Zhang, Jianshui Old Town, Chaoyang Gateway Tower
Accommodation: Jianshui
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Drive to Jianshui (4-5hrs ). You will visit Shuanglong Birdge and Tuanshan Village as well as the Garden of Family Zhang in Tuanshan Village. Tuanshan Village is a rare surviving example of an intact-albeit neglected-traditional walled Yunnan village compound in southwestern China, and has been added to the 2005 list of internationally significant sites by the World Memorial Fund for Architecture (WMF), an international fund for the protection of world heritage sites. Later , you’ll visit the Jianshui Old Town and the Chaoyang Gateway Tower, which was built in Ming Dynasty (1389). It is also known as ‘Miniature Tian’an men’ because the out shape of it is similar to Tian’anmen Square in Beijing.

Day 3 Jianshui-Yuanyang

Sightseeing and Activities:Jianshui Confucius Temple, Zhu Family Garden, the sunset of Laohuzui Terrace Field
Accommodation: Yuanyang
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

In the morning, visit Jianshui Confucius Temple, which has a history of 700 years. It is the second largest Confucius Temple in China. Then visit Zhu Family Garden.

In the afternoon, you will transfer to Yuanyang and enjoy the sight of terraced fields of Laohuzui (Tiger Mouth) at sunset. 

–Yuanyang is about 300km south of Kunming, renowned for its rice terraces, which claimed as the world’s largest and most spectacular one, crafted out by bare hands by the Hani people one thousand years ago and is still in use today. The rice farmers have had to practice ecology and land preservation centuries before those concepts were widely accepted around the world. Without hard work maintaining the terrace walls and irrigation system, the precious top soil would wash down the hillsides into the rivers.

Yuanyang Rice Terrace is a self sustaining ecosystem. During winter to early spring, the entire field is irrigated with spring water from the forest above to rejuvenate and getting prepared for the next season. The Hani people have repeated this for more than a thousand years. There is only one harvest in a year for the Yuanyang Rice Terrace; planting is from March to Oct./Nov. every year.

Day 4 Yuanyang

Sightseeing and Activities:the sunrise of Duoyishu Rice Terrace Field, Doyishu Village, Qingkou Hani Ethnic Village, Bada Rice Terrace, Shengcun Market, the sunset of Longshuba Rice Terraces
Accommodation: Yuanyang
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Duoyishu Rice Terraces in Yuanyang County,Honghe-20

Get up very early in the morning, you’ll drive to visit Duoyishu Village and enjoy the sunrise of Duoyishu Rice Terrace Fields when the sun appears above the eastern horizon. The terraced fields are ring upon ring and cascade one by one. They go along the hillside up to the sky. You will see the scenery of the terraced fields from the top of the mountains to the bottom. They are all farms under the sunshine and cloud and mist. The landscape is spectacular. And then, you will visit Qingkou Village and rice terraces where Hani people for generations inhabit. Visit Bada Hani Rice TerraceShengcun Market as well. You will enjoy the sunset of Longshuba Rice Terraces in the late afternoon about 5KM away from Xinjie Town.

Day 5 Yuanyang-The Stone Forest-Kunming

Sightseeing and Activities:Yuanyang-The Stone Forest-Kunming
Accommodation: Kunming
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Morning, you will depart to the Stone Forest( 5-6hrs ). There is a local saying: ‘It is a waste of time not to visit the Stone Forest while visiting Kunming’, which vividly expresses the deep love of the local people toward this world wonder. The quintessential karst landscape makes every tourist lost in it’s wonder. After the tour, drive back to Kunming (1.5hrs )  in the late afternoon. 

Day 6 Kunming Departure

Sightseeing and Activities:Kunming Departure
Accommodation: None
Meals: Breakfast

Pick up from hotel and transfer to airport for the departure flight to next place. 

Recommended Hotels

Destination 5 Star 4 Star 3 Star Hostels
Kunming Crown Plaza Kunming City Centre Wenhui Hotel Baiyun Hotel Kunming Yijia Hotel
Jianshui Linan Hotel Zhu Family Garden Hotel Jianshui Hotel Jianshui Hantig Hotel
Yuanyang Duoyishu Landscape Hotel Yunti Hotel(Shengcun Village) Yunti Hotel(Xinjie Town) Yuayang Shuiting Hotel

Service Included:

  • Admission fees for all of the sightseeing spots listed in the itinerary;
  • Meals as listed in the itinerary;
  • Hotels as listed in the itinerary;
  • Private English-speaking tour guide;
  • Private vehicle for transfers & sightseeing with skilled driver;
  • Service charge & government taxes;
  • Luggage transfers between airports and hotels.

Service Excluded:

  • Any arrival and departure international airfares or train tickets;
  • Chinese visa fees;
  • Excess baggage charged by Airlines;
  • Single room supplement;
  • Tips to guides and drivers;
  • Personal expenses and gratuities to service staff;
  • Personal travel accident insurance;
  • All optional programs.

Travel Tips:

  • Visitors are advised to always carry changes of clothing due to the large variations in temperature between day and night.
  • The climate is relatively dry, so drink more water every day.
  • Protecting oneself from strong UV radiation at high altitude.
  • Protecting oneself from altitude sickness. Lessen the effects of altitude sickness, avoid strenuous exercise and have plenty of rest.
  • Respect local customs , habits, and religious beliefs.
  • Do not forget to take an umbrella or a raincoat when go out.
  • When take photos, please pay attention to your safety, do not shoot in dangerous areas.

Travel and Tours Packages of Honghe and Yuanyang Hani Rice Terraces

1 Day Yuanyang Bada Hani Rice Terraces Hiking Tour
1 Day Yuanyang Hani Rice Terraces Cycling Tour
1 Day Yuanyang Duoyishu Hani Rice Terraces Hiking Tour with Hani,Yi Ethnic Villages and Mushroom Houses
1 Day Yuanyang Hani Rice Terraces Hiking Tour from Duoyishu to Laohuzui
1 Day Yuanyang Hani Rice Terraces Tour
2 Days Kunming-Yuanyang Hani Rice Terraces Tour at a glance
3 Days Yuanyang Hani Rice Terraces Tour from Kunming
3 Days Kunming, Jianshui and Yuanyang Hani Rice Terraces Group Tour
4 Days Long Street Banquet Festival and Yuanyang Rice Terraces Photography Tour
6 Days Kunming Jianshui Yuanyang Photography Tour
6 Days Kunming Shadian Muslim Tour with Yuanyang Rice Terraces and Jianshui Old Town
7 Days Yuanyang Rice Terraces Photo Tour with Tea Culture Experience
8 Days South Yunnan Ethnic Minority Discovery and Tropical Forest Photograph Tour
8 Days Deluxe Kunming, Shilin, Mile Jianshui Photo Tour with Yuanyang Rice Terraces and Fuxianhu Lake
8 Days Yunnan Photography Tour to Kunming-Dongchuan-Shilin-Jianshui and Yuanyang Hani Rice Terraces
10 Days South Yunnan Ethnic Minority and Tropical Rain-forest Photography Tour with China Border Culture
10 Days Southeast Yunnan Family Tour with Ethnic Culture, Rice Terraces, Mushroom House & Butterfly Valley
11 Days Yunnan Classic Tour with Jianshui Old Town and Yuanyang Hani Rice Terraces
11 Days Yunnan Photograph Tour with Luoping Rapeseed Flowers Festival and Honghe Hani Rice Terraces Field
11 Days China-Vietnam Overland Tour from Kunming to Hanoi
26 Days Grand Yunnan Ethnic Minority Discovery