Must-Visit Attractions in Longji Rice Terraces, Guilin (Top Picks for Family and Cultural Travel)

Many may not know how vast the Longji Rice Terraces are. Here's a hint: Longji Thirteen Villages! Yes, the Longji Rice Terraces do not refer to a single place but a large area. Obviously, if you are not going for a deep exploration, it may be impractical to visit all these villages. So, let's see which attractions in the Longji Rice Terraces of Guilin are must-visits.

The Longji Rice Terraces scenic area is divided into three villages, each with distinct terrace characteristics. The three villages are: Guzhuang Village Terraces, Ping'an Village Terraces, and Jinkeng Dazhai Terraces. The Guzhuang Village Terraces were developed the latest, still retaining a relatively primitive ethnic style. The terrace scenery is somewhat inferior to the other villages, but if you want to experience tranquility and rustic ethnic customs, Guzhuang Village is a good choice. Ping'an Village Terraces were the earliest developed terraces in the Longji scenic area, with numerous hotels, inns, and shops, giving it a strong commercial atmosphere. The terrace scenery is better than Guzhuang Village. The last one is Jinkeng Dazhai Terraces, which are the most spectacular and beautiful among the Longji Terraces. Its commercial atmosphere falls in the middle among the three villages.

This information is somewhat outdated. The correct version is: The scenic area consists of Guzhuang Village Terraces, Ping'an Village Terraces, and Jinkeng Terraces. Normally, you need to transfer to a scenic area shuttle at the main entrance, costing 80 RMB per person (this price is relatively high; self-driving cars with 9 seats or fewer can drive up). Usually, you enter via Ping'an Village Terraces, but if you want to watch the sunrise, Jinkeng offers a better view. Additionally, the famous attraction 'Seven Stars Surrounding the Moon' is located in Ping'an Village Terraces, while the cable car is at Jinkeng Terraces.

1: Longji Zhuang Village—Longji Ancient Zhuang Village Terrace Cultural Landscape Area (main attractions: Youlong Gorge River, Changgou Viewing Area, Shizu Viewing Area). Experience the Longji terrace landscape where a dragon descends into the river. The ancient village is a well-preserved settlement with high cultural and terrace value. It features a relatively complete, ancient, and large-scale Guangxi Zhuang stilted building complex, which is also among the larger ones of its kind in China. Walk along the stone-paved road to Ping'an Village (about 40 minutes, extendable to 100 minutes), enjoying the magnificent scenery along the way!

2: Cuisine at Yuewu Village—Cuisine at Yuewu Village. Located about 6 km from the Longji Rice Terraces ticket office, this is a typical small village with only 50 households. It is quiet and harmonious, free from the noise of scenic spots and cities. People work day after day and rest at sunset, making you feel time slow down. When it comes to food, what attracts people to this small village? Luo Han Guo, passion fruit, free-range chicken, game chicken, rice wine, and other raw materials are worth tasting for authentic northern Guangxi cuisine. This small village is undeveloped, requires no ticket, and it is also fun to go to the vegetable garden to pick pesticide-free vegetables. For meals, you need to book with Longji local guide Master Pan (public account: Guilin Longji Rice Terraces Tourism Service Platform).

3: Huangluo Long Hair Village—Huangluo Long Hair Village is located in the Longji scenic area. It is the only Yao ethnic village among Longji's 13 villages. The Red Yao people, who share the same skin color, live here. Since ancient times, Red Yao women have had the tradition of keeping long hair. Their long hair covers their heads. Among the 60 households, all have hair over 1 meter long, with the longest reaching 1.7 meters. They hold the Guinness World Record for 'Longest Hair Group' and are known as the world's first long-hair village.

4: Ping'an Village Terraces—Ping'an Terraces span the Ping'an and Longji administrative villages. They resemble a growing dragon, leaping on the slopes, exuding a powerful wild force. The Ping'an viewing platform boasts two unique landscapes: 'Nine Dragons and Five Tigers' and 'Seven Stars Surrounding the Moon.' Among them, 'Nine Dragons' refers to nine mountains branching off from the main Longji ridge; 'Five Tigers' refers to five slightly raised mountains here; both are surrounded by terraces. 'Seven Stars' refers to the seven remaining mountains at dawn, with seven small hills piled in the middle of the fields, looking like seven twinkling stars from afar, guarding the curved moon platform of Longji.

5: Jinkeng Dazhai Terrace Group—Jinkeng Dazhai Red Yao Terraces are surrounded by mountains, like a natural sinkhole. The ancestors of Jinkeng Red Yao migrated from Dongting, Wuxi, and other places in Hunan, bringing advanced rice farming techniques. Now, the field in front of Dazhai Village school is where the Red Yao ancestors first cultivated and harvested, and it is also the field of Jinkeng. Life and art are so connected. The ancestors of Longji Mountain never imagined that the terraces they created with their sweat would become a great artistic masterpiece, turning the terraces into a charming and unrestrained curved world. Jinkeng Dazhai Red Yao Terraces have three scenic spots: Xishan Shaole, Qianlou Tianti, and Jinfoding. These three spots form a paradise far from the secular world. From the myriad terrace forms, we can see that the terraces are like stairs, and the clouds like steps to the sky. The Xishan Shaole viewing platform offers a panoramic view of 40-50 square kilometers of terraces. At sunrise, the winding terraces, flowing clouds and water, seem to play musical notes. Amid the sounds of chickens, insects, birds, pigs, cows, sheep, people, and streams, it plays the music of the earth, guarding the vicissitudes here. The Jinfoding scenic spot offers views of 'Eagle Wings,' 'Golden Thread Hanging Gourd,' and sunset.

Which attractions in Guilin Longji Rice Terraces are must-visits? It actually depends on personal needs. If you purely want to see terraces, Ping'an and Jinkeng are enough. For family and cultural experiences, adding Huangluo and Yuewu is also good. This article is original. Please indicate the source when reposting.