The Yuanyang Rice Terraces are one of the most beautiful sights I’ve ever been to. Located in southwest Yunnan, the terraces were created more than 1,500 years ago by the native Hani and Yi people. They created overlapping terraces all down the mountain slopes to grow rice. From late fall to late spring these terraces are filled with water. In summer, you can see the rice growing and watch the harvest in the fall.
I visited in early April, when the terraces were still filled with water. It was absolutely beautiful and serene – the one tourist destination in China I’ve been to that isn’t built up with shops and cheap trinkets.
In fact, the way of life has remained remarkably preserved. I stayed in the small village of Pugao Laozhai, a Hani village. I saw many of the local Hani women working in the fields or carrying goods to the market, saw herdsman moving the water buffalo up the paths through the terraces, watched to children playing in the square. I visited the weekly market, where villagers come to buy all manner items needed for the week.
Getting around the terraces is surprisingly easy. Most of the scenic spots are 8-10km apart from each other, but it is easy to flag down a minivan to go between villages for 5-10 yuan. These minivans are not just for tourists, but are how many of the locals get around as well.
Although the scenic areas are beautiful, they tend to be rather high up from the terraces. To truly get a feel for the place, I’d recommend taking a hike through the terraces. I hiked down from one of the scenic points, past a couple of quaint villages, and up to an amazing view from a cliff overlooking the terraces.
There were several farmers working out in the fields and moving buffalo through the paths. I enjoyed just watching the daily life.
It is worth getting up early to catch the sunrise. The view from Duoyishu scenic area is especially beautiful, particularly when the terraces are filled with water and catch the reflection of the sunlight.
It takes 7 hours by bus from Kunming to get to the terraces, and it often rains there, so I’d recommend spending at least a few nights there to truly have time to enjoy it. I spent four nights, which turned out to be perfect. I was able to take different hikes each day, explore the villages, and just soak in the scenery. It is a place to relax and enjoy, not to rush through the sites. It should definitely on the top of your list for travel in Yunnan!
Yuanyang is in a fairly remote region, so expect to take most of a day to travel there. There are a couple of different options to get there from Kunming:
- There are two to three buses departing from Kunming south bus station headed to Yuanyang (Xin Jie) daily. The earliest leaves at about 10:30a.m., with possible buses at 1:00p.m. and an overnight bus at 7:oop.m. The journey takes 6-7 hours, so make sure you bring some snacks and water with you. The ticket costs about ¥144. If you take this route, make sure to stay on the bus when you arrive at the first Yuanyang stop (Nansha). The bus will continue on to Xinjie, at which point there will be minibuses waiting to take you the rest of the way to the terraces. You will have to pay for a Yuanyang Terraces ticket at the visitor center before entering (it cost ¥100 when I went in 2017).
- You can also take a bus from Kunming to Jianshui (about 4 hours), then transfer to another bus to Yuanyang. The road between Jianshui and Yuanyang is pretty rough and takes 3-4 hours to traverse so I only recommend this route if you want to spend some time visiting Jianshui Old Town or if you are entering/leaving on the overnight train directly from Dali to Jianshui.
- The weather in Yuanyang is foggy/rainy most days so be sure to allow a few days there in order to have a better chance of catching a sunny day (it’s hard to see the terraces in the fog!).
- Be sure to take some hikes down to the valley floor to see the terraces up close – the scenic spots are nice but very high above the actual terraces.
- If you’re looking for accommodations, I’d recommend staying at Timeless Yuanyang Hostel in Pugao Laozhai. The village is quaint, with a town square overlooking some of the terraces. The owner of the hostel, Richard, is very friendly and is a great photographer – ask him to show you some of his photos of Yuanyang!
- If you’re trying to catch the sunset at the Baida scenic spot be sure to head there early – in the evening it is hard to find a minivan headed that way! (I ended up having to catch a ride with a friendly farmer headed home). Getting back is easy though as there will be minivans waiting at Baida just after the sun sets.
