A great place for a summer getaway—bring your family to explore the Yuanyang Rice Terraces in Yunnan
Yuanyang Hani Rice Terraces are located in the southern part of the Ailao Mountains in Yuanyang County, Yunnan Province. They are the core area of the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site, with over 1,300 years of cultivation history.
- The Hani people have cultivated terraces with up to 3,000 steps on the mountainsides, creating a vast scale and forming a cyclical ecological system integrating forest, villages, terraces, and water systems.
Best Viewing Seasons 🌄
- November to April: Terrace flooding period, offering the best mirror-like reflections. From December to January, morning fog and sea of clouds frequently appear, making sunrises look like a fairyland; from February to March, wild cherry and pear blossoms bloom, framing the terraces with a sea of flowers.
- May to October: Rainy season when terraces are planted with rice seedlings. The mirror effect disappears, but the terraces are lush green, offering a unique charm.
Core Attractions 📸
- Duoyishu Terraces: A sunrise holy land, with terrace groups dropping over a thousand meters that look like flowing gold foil in the morning mist. You can use a telephoto lens from the top viewing platform to capture terrace lines and the sea of clouds, or shoot the terrace reflections and sunset glow from the blue-roofed guesthouse area.
- Bada Terraces: Nearly 10,000 acres of contiguous terraces, with light and shadow at sunset resembling an oil painting. Use a wide-angle lens at the sunset viewing platform to capture the color changes from green to golden red; at the end of the plank road on the left, you can avoid crowds and capture terraces with village cooking smoke.
- Laohuzui Terraces: The main scenic area is closed due to landslides, but the surrounding Amengkong Terraces are still open for exploration. You can shoot the horseshoe-shaped terraces from cliffside paths, and drone footage is even more spectacular.
- Aichunlan Terraces: On sunny days between 9:00 and 10:00 AM, the terrace water surface reflects the sky, showing a dreamy Tiffany blue.
- Qingkou Hani Village: Features mushroom houses, water mills, and the village god forest. You can participate in the "Kaiyangmen" ceremony, long street banquets, and visit intangible cultural heritage inheritors to learn Hani embroidery or bamboo weaving.
Accommodation Recommendations 🏨
- Duoyishu Area
- Yuanyang Wanshan Resort Hotel: Panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows facing the terraces, offering butler service, priced 600-1000 RMB/night.
- Yunshang Tianshang Guesthouse: Hani-style, 5-minute walk to the viewing platform, priced 300 RMB/night.
- Shengcun Area
- Shengcun Yunti Hotel: A carpool meeting point offering photography tours, priced 200 RMB/night.
- Yunshang Terrace Inn: Cost-effective, 10-minute walk to Duoyishu, priced 200-350 RMB/night.
- Azheke Area: Hani secret realm guesthouse, converted from traditional mushroom houses, offering immersive cultural experiences, priced 400-600 RMB/night.
- Xinjie Town Area: Yuanyang Yunti Hotel, suitable for self-driving guests, modern facilities, priced 150-250 RMB/night.
Transportation Guide 🚗
- External Arrival: From Kunming, take the high-speed train to Jianshui, then charter a car to Yuanyang; or take a direct bus to Xinjie Town, then transfer to a scenic area shuttle; self-driving takes about 5 hours with many mountain curves, beginners should be cautious.
- Internal Transportation: Car charter costs 200-300 RMB/day, more flexible; scenic area buses have limited schedules, suitable only for the off-season.
Food Recommendations 🍜
- Hani Dipping Chicken: Local chicken served with millet chili dipping sauce, spicy and flavorful.
- Terrace Fish: Carp fed on rice flowers, delicious steamed or braised.
- Red Rice: Hani red rice is soft and sweet, excellent with pickled tofu.
- Huoshao Ganba: Dai-style beef jerky, a perfect companion for drinks.
Travel Tips 🚶♂️
- Hiking Routes: Duoyishu → Aichun → Dawa Zhe, a 6 km easy hike through clouds and terraces; Azheke → Shengcun, explore original villages.
- Secret Exploration: Quanfuzhuang Terraces have few tourists; at dusk, rising cooking smoke creates a paradise-like scene; Malizhai Tea Factory offers tea picking and making experiences, overlooking the intertwining curves of tea mountains and terraces.
If you missed the Yuanyang Rice Terraces in October, don't miss them in February. They're absolutely stunning in February! Before sunrise, the terraces are a dazzling display of blue, like a vast palette. The mist pouring from the mountains casts a mystical veil over the terraces and the village.
The Yuanyang Rice Terraces are worth a visit. Although I went out of season and the photos I took weren't particularly impressive, the scenery along the way from Jianshui was stunning. The 70 yuan price tag was a bit steep. Seeing such a large area of terraced fields was a novelty. The inner loop of the scenic area, over 50 kilometers long, focused on the four viewing platforms. Afterward, we tried Hani specialty food. The owner was friendly, the food was delicious, and the food was affordable.
This hotel is so worth staying in! The Southeast Asian-style courtyard is very atmospheric, the special welcome drink has a local flavor, and the hot spring pool is also comfortable. The experience is amazing! I love it, it's amazing
Yuanyang Rice Terraces are located in the southern part of Ailao Mountain in Yuanyang County, Honghe Prefecture, Yunnan Province. They are a masterpiece left by the Hani people from generation to generation. As a product of the perfect combination of Hani wisdom and nature, Yuanyang Rice Terraces show breathtaking natural beauty and profound cultural history. The terraces here change with the terrain of the mountains. Large fields are cultivated on gentle slopes, small fields are cultivated on steep slopes, and even fields are cultivated in the stone gaps under the ditches, forming a magnificent pastoral landscape. Yuanyang Rice Terraces are mainly divided into three major scenic spots: Bada, Laohuzui, and Duoyishu, each of which has its own unique charm. Laohuzui Scenic Area is famous for its steepness and magnificence; Duoyishu Scenic Area is famous for its dreamy sunrise and is known as "the most dreamy place in the world"; Bada Scenic Area shows a magnificent scene. From the Malizhai River at an altitude of 800 meters, thousands of continuous terraces extend straight to the top of the mountain at an altitude of 2,000 meters. In addition to the natural landscape, Yuanyang Rice Terraces also retains the traditional Hani dwellings such as mushroom houses and village god forests, showing the unique production and lifestyle and cultural customs of the Hani people. The villages, forests, and water systems here together form a harmonious and symbiotic ecosystem, reflecting the high degree of coordination between man and nature. In general, Yuanyang Rice Terraces is not only a beautiful natural landscape, but also a symbol of Hani culture. Whether you are a photography enthusiast or an ordinary tourist, you can find peace of mind and visual shock here.
The best season to visit Yuanyang Rice Terraces is in March when water is released for rice planting, but if you are lucky in December or January and there is no fog, you can also go there. Before going to Yuanyang Rice Terraces, you can check the weather forecast. After arriving at the new county seat of Yuanyang, you can inquire about the conditions of the terraces. If possible, go there quickly, stay for a night, and get up early in the morning to get a good position. The photos you take will definitely be beautiful!
Yuanyang Rice Terraces Tour: Enjoy the Double Benefits of Food and Beautiful Scenery Yuanyang Rice Terraces, a magnificent landscape located in Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, attracts countless tourists with its unique topography and rich ethnic culture. There are not only rolling terraces here, but also rich food. Best time to travel The Yuanyang Rice Terraces have their own unique beauty in each season, but the best time to visit is autumn (September to November) and spring (April to June). The terraced fields are golden in autumn and lush green in spring. 【Transportation Guide】 1. The main modes of transportation to Yuanyang are by plane or by coach. There are direct flights from Kunming Changshui International Airport to Yuanyang. 2. After arriving in Yuanyang County, you can choose to take a local minibus or taxi to various terraced field scenic spots. 3. It is convenient to drive by yourself because the distance between the scenic spots is not very close. 【Recommended attractions】 1. Duoyishu Rice Terraces: This is one of the best places to view the panoramic view of Yuanyang Rice Terraces, especially at sunrise, when the terraces look particularly spectacular under the morning light. 2. Bada Rice Terraces: Famous for its grand scale and rich layers, it is a paradise for photography enthusiasts. 3. Houzizhai Terraces: The terraces here are relatively primitive and retain more of the traditional Hani architectural style. 4. Qinglong Rice Terraces: Famous for its natural landscape combining terraces and forests. 【Food Recommendation】 Yuanyang’s cuisine is mainly barbecue. You can go to the First Barbecue City but you must go there during the day. You can buy the ingredients at the farmer’s market at the foot of the mountain and grill them at any of the restaurants. They will be delicious. 【Accommodation recommendation】 There are many accommodation options around Yuanyang County and the terraced fields scenic area. We stayed in a hotel near Hani Town. There are various options, from budget inns to comfortable family hotels. It is recommended to choose accommodation close to the terraced field scenic area to better experience the local natural scenery and ethnic customs. 【Notes】 1. Yuanyang is located on a plateau and the climate changes greatly. Please prepare appropriate clothing before traveling. 2. There are mostly mountain roads in the terraced field scenic area, so it is recommended to wear comfortable hiking shoes. 3. Respect local ethnic customs and habits, do not enter local residents’ houses or destroy the terraced landscape at will. 4. Pay attention to environmental protection and do not litter in the terraces or scenic areas. The Yuanyang Rice Terraces are not only a natural wonder, but also a treasure of Hani culture. Here, you can not only enjoy the visual shock, but also taste authentic food. I hope this guide can help you plan a perfect trip to Yuanyang.
Yuanyang Hani Rice Terraces are a "poetry of the earth" carved by the Hani people over 1,300 years. It is known as "the most beautiful mountain sculpture in China" and shows a magnificent picture of harmonious coexistence between man and nature. During the spring irrigation period, the terraces are shimmering, and the layers of "mirrors" reflect the sea of clouds, sunrise and sunset, forming a flowing feast of light and shadow. "Beginning with mountains and rivers, ending with fireworks" - this is not only a world cultural heritage, but also a carrier of the living inheritance of Hani culture.
Yuanyang Terraces | A soul-stirring natural journey🌄 This trip to Yuanyang Terraces was so unforgettable that I must share it with everyone! 🚗Transportation: I took a bus from Kunming. The journey took about 6 hours. Although it was a bit long, the scenery along the way was also good. After arriving in Xinjie Town, it was very convenient to share a car to the scenic spot, and the cost was relatively reasonable. 🎫Tickets: The scenic spot ticket is 70 yuan, which is cheaper if you buy it online. You can enter and exit freely within three days, which is very cost-effective. 🌅Scenery: The terraces here are really spectacular, with large areas, as if they are fingerprints of the earth. When I went there, the fields were filled with water. Under the sunshine, the waves sparkled, like countless stars twinkling✨ With the blue sky and white clouds, it was so beautiful that it was suffocating. If you want to watch the sunrise, Duoyishu Terraces is a great choice. The golden sunshine sprinkled on the terraces, and the sea of clouds rolled. The shock cannot be described in words. You can go to the Bada Observation Deck to watch the sunset. The terraced fields under the afterglow are clearly layered and colorful, like a beautiful oil painting. 🍜 Food: You must try the Hani red rice noodles. The soup is rich and delicious, and the rice noodles are soft and chewy. One bite is super satisfying. You must also check in for the grilled tofu. It is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Dip it in the special dried chili powder, and it is so fragrant that I stamp my feet. There are also terraced fish, which are firm and tender. They are freshly caught and cooked, and super fresh. Tour suggestions: 1. If you want to save effort, you can charter a car to visit the Duoyishu, Bada, and Laohuzui Observation Deck. The driver will take you to the best photo spots and tell you local stories and culture. 2. If you have enough time, you might as well walk slowly along the ridges to feel the charm of the terraced fields up close. You may also encounter local people carrying bamboo baskets and experience the purest pastoral life. 3. Pay attention to the weather in advance. When the weather is good, the scenery of the terraces will be more amazing. If there is heavy fog, you may not be able to see such beautiful scenery. This trip to Yuanyang Terraces really made me feel the wonders of nature and appreciate the unique culture of the Hani people. I strongly recommend everyone to come here to play, I believe you will also be impressed by the beautiful scenery here! #元阳梯田 #自然的奇观 #最美日出夕夕 #滇旅游