Breakaway Destination Guides (International)

They were first built in the Yuan dynasty and completed in the Qing dynasty by Zhuang people. The terraced fields are built along the slope winding from the riverside up to the mountaintop, The coiling line spirals up from the mountain foot to the top, making the mountain looks like huge snail seen from afar.

Approximately 27kilometers (16miles) southeast of Longsheng County, lies a vast region of large-scaled rice terraces built into the hillside, which stretches, layer upon layer, coiling around the base of Longji (the dragon's backbone) Mountain to its summit. Some of the terraces look like great chains, other like ribbons. They wind from the foot to the top of the hill. The smaller ones are like snails and the bigger ones like towers. These are the most amazing rice terrace in China 'The Dragon's Backbone Rice Terraces.

Rice Harvest

Construction of the terraces began in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), and continued until the early Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) when construction was completed. The Dragon's Backbone Rice Terraces are the culmination of both the profound wisdom and strenuous labour of the Zhuang people.

OX ploughing the terraces

It is said, 'Where there is soil, there is a terrace', be it in the valley, with swift flowing rivers or the mountains summit with its swirling cloud cover, or from bordering verdant forest to cliff walls. Even though the Dragon's Backbone Rice Terraces is large, it is made up of numerous patches no more than 1 mu (it is a traditional unit of area in China, currently call shimu) (about 0.16 acres). The smaller ones like snails while the bigger one like towers. The outline is very smooth with gradients between 26degrees and 35degrees.

The Dragon's Backbone Rice Terraces is a beautiful natural picture. In spring, the terraces, linked together, look like great chains or ribbons hung on the hillsides. Green waves rush continuously down the mountainside from the heaven in summer. The theme of autumn is the harvest, when the mountainside is decorated with the gold of ripened millet. Then with the onset of winter, when the whole mountain will be covered with white snow, just like dragons playing with water.

Zhuang Minority Ethnic

As well as its amazing scenery, Longji is also the area to experience China's ethnic minorities' culture. Besides of the famous known Pingan village of the Zhuang Minority Ethnic, there is another unknown Jinkeng Rice Terrace, which is home to the Yao minorities. here the women dress in unique and colorful costumes, singing and dancing and the deserning traveller may be lucky as to be able to even stay with local families enjoying both the Longji tea and the Longji wine. This area is simply one of those amazing places on Earth.

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