From Guangzhou to Guilin (The Latest Complete Guide to Longji Rice Terraces)

In May and June, the Longji Rice Terraces are the dream destination for travel enthusiasts. The large-scale irrigation of the terraces, along with their natural curves, makes them look like mirrors. With light reflections before dawn and after dusk, the view is absolutely breathtaking. Lately, the editor has received many phone calls from Guangzhou asking about transportation and accommodation. Though Guangdong and Guangxi are nearby and the internet is well-developed, we are simply too lazy. So, the editor reluctantly put together a guide from Guangzhou to Guilin (Longji Rice Terraces attractions).

1. Self-driving: New route: Guangzhou - (Guangsan Expressway) - Sanshui - (Guangzhao Expressway) - Zhaoqing - (Guangyun Expressway) - Yunfu - (Guangwu Expressway) - Yunan - (Cangwu Expressway) - Wuzhou - Hezhou - Yangshuo - Guilin - After arriving in Guilin, follow the road signs towards the airport - Xia Rong Expressway - Exit the expressway to reach the Longji Rice Terraces ticket office.

2. Guilin Airport and High-speed Rail Station: Arrange a chartered driver in advance to pick you up at the station and go directly to the destination. (Public account: Guilin Longji Rice Terraces Tourism Service Platform)

1. Longji Ancient Zhuang Village

Longji Ancient Zhuang Village Terrace Cultural Landscape Scenic Area (main attractions: Youlong Gorge River, Changgou Viewing Area, Shizu Viewing Area) – enjoy the three-dimensional Longji terrace landscape of Youlong Gorge River. The ancient Zhuang village is a village with high cultural and terrace viewing value. It has a relatively complete, ancient, and large-scale Guangxi Zhuang stilt building complex, even among wooden building complexes in China. Walk along the stone-paved road to Ping'an Village (about 40 minutes, can be extended to 100 minutes), enjoying the magnificent scenery along the way!

2. Gourmet Village - Yuewu Village

Gourmet village – Yuewu Village, about 6 kilometers from Longji Town (ticket office), also opposite the starting point of National Highway 321 in Longsheng. It is a typical small village with only about 50 households. Here it is quiet and harmonious, without the hustle and bustle of scenic spots or cities. People work at sunrise and return at sunset; if you work here, you'll feel time slow down. Speaking of food, what attracts people to this small village? Ingredients like monk fruit, passion fruit, free-range chicken, gamecock, and rice wine are all worth tasting authentic northern Guangxi cuisine. The small village is undeveloped, no ticket required, and meals need to be booked in advance. It is also interesting to pick pesticide-free vegetables from the garden.

3. Huangluo Long Hair Village

Huangluo Long Hair Village is located in the Longji Scenic Area. It is the only Yao village among the thirteen villages of Longji. Here live the Red Yao people of the same skin color. Since ancient times, Red Yao women have had the traditional custom of keeping long hair. Their long hair is all on their heads. Among the 60 households in the village, 60 households have hair over one meter, with the longest being 1.7 meters. It has won the "Guinness Longest Hair Group" and is known as the world's first long-hair village.

4. Ping'an Village Terraces

Ping'an Terraces span two administrative villages, Ping'an and Longji. They are like a developing giant dragon, jumping on the slopes, forming a powerful wild force. Ping'an viewpoint has two unique landscapes: "Nine Dragons and Five Tigers" and "Seven Stars Accompanying the Moon." Among them, "Nine Dragons" refers to nine small hills separated from the main ridge of Longji here; "Five Tigers" refers to five slightly raised small hills here. Both "Nine Dragons" and "Five Tigers" are surrounded by terraces. "Seven Stars" refers to seven small hillocks specially left at the beginning of the day. The seven hillocks are stacked in the middle of the fields, looking from afar like seven twinkling stars guarding the curved moon altar of Longji.

5. Jinkeng Dazhai Terrace Group

The Jinkeng Dazhai Red Yao Terraces are surrounded by mountains, like a natural sinkhole. The ancestors of the Jinkeng Red Yao migrated from the Dongting and Wuxi areas of Hunan, bringing advanced rice cultivation techniques. Now, the field in front of the school gate of Dazhai Village is the earliest place where the Red Yao ancestors cultivated and harvested, and it is also the original field of Jinkeng. Life and art are so connected. The ancestors of Longji Mountain never expected that the terraces they carved out with sweat would be a great artistic masterpiece; the terraces became a charming and unrestrained curved world. Jinkeng Dazhai Red Yao Terraces have three scenic spots: Xishan Shaole, Qianceng Tianti, and Jinfoding. The three scenic viewpoints constitute a paradise far from the secular world. From Qianceng Tianti, you can see terraces like stairs, clouds like stairs leading to the sky. The Xishan Shaole viewing platform sees 40-50 square kilometers of terrace landscape, watch the sunrise, see winding terraces, flowing clouds and water, like playing musical notes amidst the sounds of chickens, insects, birds, pigs, cows, sheep, people, and streams, playing the music of the earth, guarding the vicissitudes here. The Jinfoding scenic area can see "Eagle Spreading Wings," "Golden Thread Hanging Gourd," and sunset views.

Route 1: Long Hair Village lunch - Jinkeng No. 3 scenic spot for sunset - Ping'an Village Nine Dragons Five Tigers viewing platform - Return

Route 2: Longji Gorge rafting - Gourmet Village lunch - Jinkeng No. 3 scenic spot for sunset - Stay at Jinkeng No. 2 scenic spot for sunrise - Return

Route 3: Longji Gorge rafting - Gourmet Village lunch - Jinkeng No. 3 scenic spot for sunset - Stay at Jinkeng No. 1 and No. 2 scenic spots for sunrise - Ping'an Village Nine Dragons Five Tigers viewing platform - Return

Route 4: Ancient Zhuang Village - Ping'an Village Seven Stars Accompanying the Moon - Ping'an Village Nine Dragons Five Tigers viewing platform - Return

Route 5: Long Hair Village lunch - Jinkeng No. 3 scenic spot for sunset - Ping'an Village Nine Dragons Five Tigers viewing platform - Stay at Ping'an Village Seven Stars Accompanying the Moon - Return

When going to Longji Rice Terraces, foods such as bamboo tube rice, bamboo tube chicken, wild fern cakes, and rice wine can be tasted at local farmhouses or small restaurants run by locals. Don't be too rigid. On Longji, how can you worry about not eating authentic Longji cuisine?

Bamboo Tube Rice: A special food invented by villagers around Longji Rice Terraces for convenience during farm work. Mainly glutinous rice, some bacon and taro cubes, and a little sweet corn. It is stuffed into fresh bamboo tubes. Slow-cooked, it's delicious! Break it in half with a knife, and a burst of aroma comes! The flavor of glutinous rice, bacon, and bamboo makes your mouth water!

Smoked Cured Meat: This is a must-have food for households in Longji Rice Terraces and surrounding rural areas. Because there were no refrigerators in the early years, this method was used to store food. It can be steamed, boiled, or fried. The most famous dish is stir-fried bamboo shoots with cured meat.

Bamboo Tube Chicken: The creation and method of bamboo tube chicken are similar to bamboo tube rice. After roasting over fire, the bamboo flavor infuses the chicken and broth, making it very tasty. Generally, Cantonese-style spring chicken is also light and flavorful, provided it is truly free-range chicken.

Chive Scrambled Eggs: There are many wild vegetables in the mountains of Longji Rice Terraces. Wild chives are the most common wild vegetable. Paired with free-range eggs, you can taste the flavor of nature through it!

This guide from Guangdong to Guilin Longji Rice Terraces scenic area ends here. This article was originally published by the public account "Guilin Longji Rice Terraces Tourism Service Platform." Reprinting is welcome with attribution.