Longji Rice Terraces

Published: August 12, 2026 · Updated: August 12, 2026

The Longji terraces climb the ridges of Longsheng County, 100 kilometres north of Guilin, cut by Zhuang and Yao farmers from the Yuan dynasty onward. They rise from 300 to 1,100 metres, which is why the same slope holds water and green at different heights.

Longji Rice Terraces — Rutger van der Maar CC BY 2.0 Source

Overview

Longji means dragon’s backbone, for the ridgeline the terraces follow. Two villages anchor the area: Ping’an, older on the tourist route and easier to reach, and Dazhai in the Jinkeng terraces, higher, larger and served by a cable car. The Red Yao women of Huangluo are known for hair worn uncut for a lifetime.

Highlights

The terraces change completely by season — flooded and mirror-like in May, green through summer, gold in late September before the October harvest, bare in winter. Stay a night in a village guesthouse; the day tours arrive after the morning light and leave before the evening. Dazhai’s viewpoints are the wider ones, Ping’an the more compact.

Location