That Year, a 10,000-Mile Self-Drive Tour Through Hunan, Guizhou, and Guangxi: Viewing the Terraced Fields at Longji, Guilin, Guangxi | Practical Guide for a Self-Drive Tour to Longji Terraced Fields, Guangxi | May 2021

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A 10,000-mile self-drive tour through Hunan, Guizhou, Guangxi, Hubei, Anhui, and Jiangsu: Viewing the thousand-layer sky ladders at Longji Terraced Fields in Guilin, Guangxi | Practical Guide for a Self-Drive Tour to Longji Terraced Fields, Guangxi | [Guilin Longji, Guangxi Chapter] [Stop 24] [June 1, 2021]

The exquisite beauty of Longji, Guilin, Guangxi

The exquisite beauty of Longji, Guilin, Guangxi—curling cooking smoke

The exquisite beauty of Longji, Guilin, Guangxi—the tranquil Ping'an Village

Longji's thousand-layer sky ladder

Departing from Guilin city, Guangxi, driving 80 km for 2 hours to reach Longji Terraced Fields in Guilin, Guangxi, starting a one-day tour of Longji Terraced Fields, Guilin, Guangxi | World Cultural Heritage Longji Terraced Fields, Guilin | Longji Dazhai Jinkeng Terraced Field Scenic Area | Longji Golden Buddha Summit | Longji Xiaozhai Red Yao Cultural Experience Zone | Longji Ping'an Terraced Field Scenic Area |

On May 1, 2021, I departed from Qingdao by car, spent 40 days, traveled 10,200 km, passed through 6 provinces and 30 cities, successfully completing the 10,000-mile self-drive tour through Hunan, Guizhou, Guangxi, Hubei, Anhui, and Jiangsu.

About this trip:

I departed from Guilin, Guangxi at 8:00 AM. The roads were smooth, accompanied by the beautiful scenery of Guangxi. After driving 80 km in 2 hours, I arrived at Longji Terraced Fields Scenic Area at 10:00 AM.

One-day route for Longji Terraced Fields in Guilin, Guangxi:

Day 1: World Cultural Heritage Longji Terraced Fields, Guangxi Guilin; Longji Dazhai Jinkeng Terraced Field Scenic Area; Longji Golden Buddha Summit; Longji Xiaozhai Red Yao Cultural Experience Zone; Longji Ping'an Terraced Field Scenic Area

[About Attractions]

Entrance ticket: Adult ticket for Longji Scenic Area in Guilin, Guangxi is 80 yuan per person [10 yuan cheaper if booked through Ctrip]. Self-driving cars can freely enter and exit the scenic area; parking inside is 10 yuan per visit. Guilin, Guangxi has many tourist attractions, most of which require tickets.

[About Accommodation]

Accommodation in Guilin, Guangxi: Booked through Ctrip: Home Inn neo, Guilin High-Speed Railway North Station, standard room 120 yuan including breakfast for two [room was clean and refreshing, breakfast was good].

[About Dining]

Dining: During the self-drive trip, we experienced local cuisines, various noodles, and recommendations from online rankings, each with its own merits! Since some scenic areas are far apart, it's advisable to bring drinks and snacks. In the evening after parking, we enjoyed some wine and local food, savoring the joy of life.

[Travel Equipment Preparation]

Self-brought photography equipment:

Canon 60D kit (18-135mm IS)

For a travel enthusiast, Longji in Guilin, Guangxi is a must-visit. If you are tired of crowded tourist spots and endless shops, and want to find a place for spiritual relaxation, the secluded Longji in Guilin, Guangxi is worth considering.

Travel needs no reason because the scenery is there!

Travel is a practice of the mind.

Another meaning of travel: discovering beauty in places others are tired of living in!

The winding road to the sky always attracts you with the distance.

After retirement, travel has become an important part of my life, a habit. If I don't go out for a while, I feel like something is missing, as if grass is growing in my heart, and I can't sleep or eat well. Strange—once I'm out, everything is fine. During the journey, climbing high mountains, crossing rivers, visiting ancient villages, and paying tribute to red classics, I feel even more the grandeur and beauty of our motherland's landscape.

Longji, Guilin, Guangxi:

Longji Terraced Fields are located on Longji Mountain in Ping'an Village, Longji Town, Longsheng County, Guangxi. In a general sense, Longji Terraced Fields refer to the Longji Ping'an Terraced Fields, which were developed earlier. They are distributed between 300 and 1,100 meters above sea level, with a maximum slope of 50 degrees. The roads to the terraced fields are mostly winding mountain roads, climbing to about 600 meters above sea level, reaching 880 meters at the terraced fields.

Learn some history of Longji, Guilin, Guangxi:

In the Nanling Mountains where Longsheng is located, primitive cultivated japonica rice appeared between 6,000 and 12,000 years ago, making it one of the origins of artificial rice cultivation in the world.

During the Qin and Han dynasties, the method of terracing fields had already formed in Longsheng.

During the Tang and Song dynasties, Longsheng terraced fields were developed on a large scale, and by the Ming and Qing dynasties, they had basically reached their current scale.

Longsheng terraced fields have a history of at least 2,300 years, making them the world's hometown of terraced fields.

As a person from Qingdao, a coastal city, I may have seen too much of the sea's beauty, so its attraction is no longer as strong. I always yearn for the scenery of Longji in Guilin, Guangxi. I long for its long history, beautiful landscapes, and unforgettable cuisine. The wonderful imagination that transcends time and space urges me to embark on this mysterious journey.

Route map of the 10,000-mile self-drive tour through Hunan, Guizhou, Guangxi, Hubei, Anhui, and Jiangsu:

Departing from Qingdao on May 1, 2021—Yueyang, Hunan—Changsha, Hunan—Shaoshan, Hunan—Hengyang, Hunan—Yongzhou, Hunan—Loudi, Hunan—Shaoyang, Hunan—Huaihua, Hunan—Zhangjiajie, Hunan—Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Hunan—Jishou, Hunan—Tongren, Guizhou—Zunyi, Guizhou—Anshun, Guizhou—Guiyang, Guizhou—Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou—Qiannan Buyi and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou—Hechi, Guangxi—Baise, Guangxi—Chongzuo, Guangxi—Nanning, Guangxi—Guigang, Guangxi—Laibin, Guangxi—Liuzhou, Guangxi—Yangshuo, Guangxi—Guilin, Guangxi—Xianning, Hubei—Huanggang, Hubei—Xuancheng, Anhui—Wuhu, Anhui—Hefei, Anhui—Chuzhou, Anhui—Nanjing, Jiangsu—Yangzhou, Jiangsu—Qingdao

Self-drive travel cost budget:

Based on my travel experience, for long-distance self-drive trips, as long as you don't buy large items, stay in budget hotels or farm stays, don't splurge on meals, and reduce scenic area fees, a couple can manage with about 400 yuan per day for all expenses.

Trip summary [Longji, Guilin, Guangxi]:

Time: June 1, 2021 to June 1, 2021, total 1 day

People: A couple (2 people)

Mode: Independent travel

Transportation: Self-driving car

Cost: 300 yuan per person (including gasoline, tolls, food, accommodation, tickets, etc.)

A delightful trip:

In the past, due to time constraints, I had only a brief encounter with Longji, Guilin, Guangxi. This time, the 10,000-mile self-drive tour through Hunan, Guizhou, and Guangxi arranged its 24th stop at Longji, Guilin, Guangxi. Driving from Guilin city to Longji, the beautiful scenery along the way and the details of Guangxi intoxicated my heart. Thus began my journey to Longji, Guilin, Guangxi.

This place is most suitable for a couple to travel together, strolling hand in hand, experiencing the magnificent and lively landscape of nature. Appreciating the surrounding peaks, lush forests, and tasting Longji cuisine, walking along the riverbank of Longji in the evening, taking in the full view of Longji, Guilin, Guangxi.

I. The Origin of Longji, Guilin, Guangxi

After the Spring Festival this year, I planned a 10,000-mile self-drive tour through Hunan, Guizhou, and Guangxi. In May, during the most beautiful season of these provinces, my wife and I traveled south to see the beautiful scenery of Guilin, Guangxi. We breathed the air of Guilin, tasted the Longji cuisine, and released our passion.

II. Preparation for Departure

Without any worries, we embarked on a spontaneous trip. For travel, we prepared everything needed, checked the weather at the destination, and listed the items to bring.

III. Itinerary for the 10,000-mile Self-Drive Tour through Hunan, Guizhou, Guangxi, Hubei, Anhui, and Jiangsu: Longji Terraced Fields, Guilin

Day 1: World Cultural Heritage Longji Terraced Fields, Guilin, Guangxi; Dazhai Jinkeng Terraced Field Scenic Area; Longji Golden Buddha Summit; Longji Xiaozhai Red Yao Cultural Experience Zone; Ping'an Terraced Field Scenic Area

1. Self-driving route [Guilin city, Guangxi — Longji Terraced Fields, Guilin, Guangxi]

Departure from Guilin, Guangxi on June 1, 2021 at 8:00 AM, arriving at Longji Terraced Fields, Guilin, Guangxi at 10:00 AM, distance 80 km, driving time 2 hours.

I am an independent travel enthusiast and also a photography enthusiast. I usually take landscape photos and spend my free time traveling to various places to capture their beautiful scenery and local customs. As a photography lover, I never miss any beautiful people or things along the way. I think those captured moments will form all my memories. If you want to see more of my photographs and travel notes, you can follow me:

Ctrip travel notes: Leyapai Travel Guide

If you have any questions about travel, feel free to leave me a message.

Highlights of Stop 24 of the 10,000-mile Self-Drive Tour through Hunan, Guizhou, Guangxi, Hubei, Anhui, and Jiangsu: Longji, Guilin, Guangxi:

When you lower your head, you realize the road beneath your feet. There are no wings in the sky, but birds are flying.

Self-driving route from Guilin city: Depart from Guilin city — Longji, Guilin, Guangxi [80 km, 2 hours]

My sightseeing route in Longji, Guilin, Guangxi:

Day 1: World Cultural Heritage Longji Terraced Fields, Guilin, Guangxi [purchase ticket]

Longji Terraced Fields are located on Longji Mountain in Ping'an Village, Longji Town, Longsheng County, Guangxi, 22 km from the county town.

Longji Terraced Fields refer to the terraced fields developed on Longji Mountain. Broadly speaking, they are called Longsheng Terraced Fields; narrowly, they are Longji Terraced Fields.

On April 19, 2018, the Rice Terraces of Southern China (including Longji Terraced Fields in Longsheng, Guangxi; Lianhe Terraced Fields in Youxi, Fujian; Chongyi Hakka Terraced Fields in Jiangxi; and Ziquejie Terraced Fields in Xinhua, Hunan) were officially recognized as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System at the Fifth International Forum on Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems.

Longji Terraced Fields, like chains and ribbons, surround the peaks into giant snails, some half-open like huge fans, overlapping into narrow fan shapes; others are like celestial mirrors that have been divided, then layered into various fragments.

Within this vast area, small paths meander through the undulating terraced fields, like thin ropes drifting.

Terraced fields are common, but such a large-scale concentration as Longji is rare.

From the fast-flowing river valley to the cloud-capped mountaintops, from the lush forest edges to the steep cliffs, wherever there is soil, terraced fields have been created.

Vertically spanning five or six li (about 2.5-3 km) and horizontally stretching five or six li, the undulating mountains rise high into the clouds, winding like ladders to the blue sky, forming huge abstract paintings between heaven and earth.

Day 1: Longji Dazhai Jinkeng Terraced Field Scenic Area [20-minute drive from the self-drive visitor center to Dazhai Jinkeng Terraced Field Scenic Area]

Jinkeng Terraced Fields are known as a world-class tourism landscape. Their magnificent grandeur, mist-enshrouded peaks, unique Yao villages, and colorful customs form a magnificent picture.

This place is not only a photographic paradise for Chinese and foreign photographers but also a world wonder for leisure and sightseeing.

The Jinkeng Terraced Fields, covering over 10 square kilometers, were first cultivated during the Yuan Dynasty, experienced centuries of wind and rain, and have only become known to the world in recent years, gradually becoming a tourist hotspot.

Longji Dazhai Jinkeng Terraced Field Scenic Area

Taking the cable car to Golden Buddha Summit

The charm of Longji Dazhai Jinkeng Terraced Fields

The golden wheat waves of the thousand-layer sky ladder roll one after another, dyeing one mountain after another yellow endlessly. In this world of stacked gold, I was overwhelmed again and again. The perfect fusion of man and nature may be the unity of heaven and humanity.

Cable car reaches the top of Longji Dazhai Jinkeng Terraced Fields in 10 minutes.

The charm of Longji Dazhai Jinkeng Terraced Fields

Jinkeng Terraced Fields are neatly arranged with rich and varied lines, mainly curves, giving a sense of dynamic beauty. Especially the long curves and wavy lines make one think these terraced fields are colorful ribbons falling from the sky.

Jinkeng Terraced Fields also have a pictorial beauty. Some small hills are covered with rings of terraced fields following their shapes, like pagodas, enhancing the beauty of the pastoral landscape.

Some terraced fields in a continuous area look like an eagle spreading its wings; some are like seven stars accompanying the moon; some are typical trapezoidal shapes, and there are also flower-edged fields.

Jinkeng Terraced Fields have a strong sense of layering. Because of the steep terrain, the terraced fields are mostly band-shaped, with many vertical layers and rich near-and-far layers.

Moreover, Jinkeng Terraced Fields have a musical beauty, reflected in their rhythm and cadence.

The village houses are all stilted buildings, neatly arranged yet blending harmoniously with the mountains, simple and elegant, full of artistic conception. Arriving at Jinkeng gives a feeling of returning to simplicity and nature.

The thousand-layer sky ladder endlessly dyes one mountain after another yellow.

Scenery at the top of Longji Dazhai Jinkeng Terraced Fields

Day 1: Longji Golden Buddha Summit

Golden Buddha Summit can be reached by cable car from the Dayao Village entrance. There is almost no accommodation there; the nearest panoramic building is about 40 minutes away. It is the best place to watch the sunset and offers excellent scenery.

Golden Buddha Summit is one of the scenic spots in Guilin's Jinkeng Terraced Fields. It is high in altitude with a wide view, making it a great place to see the panoramic view of the terraced fields.

Gold Buddha Summit is the third viewpoint. It is the farthest but also the most spectacular.

Golden Buddha Summit is located within the Longji Dazhai Yao Village Terraced Field Scenic Area of the Longji Terraced Fields Scenic Area, near the intersection of County Road 552 and National Road 321 in Longsheng Various Nationalities Autonomous County, Guilin.

The charm of Longji Golden Buddha Summit

Start walking downhill

Longji Dazhai Jinkeng Terraced Fields scenery

Day 1: Longji Xiaozhai Red Yao Cultural Experience Zone

Xiaozhai Village is a settlement of the Pan clan Red Yao minority. Every morning, cooking smoke rises, creating a tranquil scene like a paradise. The uniform stilted buildings, orderly arranged, blend with the mountains as if in a painting.

In 1994, CCTV and Guilin TV Station cooperated to film the documentary "Longji" here, making this small village the white moonlight in many people's hearts.

Longji Xiaozhai Red Yao Cultural Experience Zone

Day 1: Longji Ping'an Terraced Field Scenic Area

The scenery of Longji Ping'an Terraced Fields varies throughout the year: in spring, the fields are filled with water, like strings of silver chains hanging on the mountains; in summer, the crops show green, like rows of green waves pouring from the sky; in autumn, the rice ears are heavy, like golden pagodas reaching the jade palace; in winter, auspicious snow signals a good harvest, like rings of white jade building on the clouds.

This scene can be called a great wonder of the world.

The terraced fields, like huge abstract paintings between heaven and earth.

The soul of every visitor who sees this scenery is deeply shaken, a feeling that is hard to describe, a shock from the grandeur of nature and the power of human effort.

Longji Ping'an Terraced Field Scenic Area

About the origin of "Seven Stars Accompanying the Moon," there is a beautiful love story. Now, the Zhuang people in Ping'an Village have a custom: on August 15th of the lunar calendar, if you have taken a fancy to a girl, you can secretly tell her to meet on the Moon Field that night. If the girl is interested in you, she will show up on time. Looking at the bright moon and the stars, you can make a wish to fulfill your love oath, all related to this story.

Longji Ping'an Terraced Field Scenic Area

Travel doesn't necessarily cost a lot of money, but not traveling doesn't guarantee saving or becoming rich. In life, the truly precious moments are not many. Living according to your own heart is the best life. While the sun is shining and the breeze is gentle, go see the people you want to see and the scenery you want to see. That is a wonderful life.

Along the way, mountains and rivers intertwine, rolling endlessly. The winding roads that circle the mountainsides are like ribbons wrapped around the green mountains, becoming a unique and beautiful sight. The misty distant mountains are covered in a light veil, hazy and indistinct, appearing and disappearing in the ethereal clouds. Seeing this scene, one can only sigh: "This scene should only exist in heaven; how often can one find it in the mortal world?"

Travel sentiment: I am naturally a person who loves to move around, having traveled countless mountains and rivers. From the paradise on earth of Suzhou and Hangzhou in the south to the ice city of Harbin in the north, to Mohe in the far north; from the colorful clouds of Yunnan in the west to the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea in the east; from visiting Putuo in the East China Sea to continuing south to Hainan; from the central plains to Sichuan and Lhasa in the southwest; from Gansu and Shaanxi to Xinjiang in the northwest. I will seek highlights along this journey I love and long for, and record them carefully. Love for a place is mostly for a person, a thing, or an experience, as well as beautiful scenery. Friend, come travel to Longji, Guilin, Guangxi.

That year, the 10,000-mile self-drive tour through Hunan, Guizhou, and Guangxi, my travel notes on Longji, Guilin, Guangxi [Stop 24] ends—please continue browsing the travel notes on the 10,000-mile self-drive tour through Hunan, Guizhou, and Guangxi, my travel notes on Guilin city, Guangxi [Stop 25].