Destination guide
Longji Rice Terraces of Guilin
Updated November 2026
The Longji terraces are 650 years of hand-cut steps in the hills north of Guilin, rising from 300 m to 1,100 m in contours that follow the slope rather than the map. They are farmland, not a park: one rice crop a year, planted in May, cut in late September. Two villages take visitors, and which one you pick decides what kind of trip you have.
Ping an or Dazhai
| Village | What it is | Choose it for |
|---|---|---|
| Ping an | Forty minutes on foot from the car park; the Seven Stars with Moon viewpoint; gentler slopes; most guesthouses | A first visit and a short stay |
| Dazhai (Jinkeng) | Three cable cars; sunrise from Tiantouzhai; steeper; Yao villages on the slope | Photographers and walkers |
| Zhongliu and Xiaozhai | Between the two, on the hiking route, fewest visitors | One night with the walk as the point |
The three seasons that matter
Mid-May to mid-June: the paddies are flooded and the terraces become mirrors, which is the image on every poster. July to August: green and dense, with the rice at full height. Late September to mid-October: gold, in the fortnight before the harvest, when the whole slope turns at once. After the cut it is stubble until the spring flooding, and December to March is often inside cloud.
Walking between the villages
Ping an to Dazhai via Zhongliu is four to five hours on stone steps, with about 600 m of ascent and one long exposed ridge. It is waymarked in Chinese and occasionally in English. The Dazhai cable cars reach two viewpoints and save the climb but not the walking. Yao women along the route will offer to carry your bag; it is a paid service and a fair one, and it is how the villages earn outside the harvest.
The people who cut the steps
The terraces were cut by Zhuang and Yao farmers over six centuries, and the villages above them are still Yao: red jackets, hair coiled on top, and an embroidery trade that long predates tourism. The women who offer to carry a bag or pose for a photograph are earning outside the single rice harvest, which is the whole village economy in one season. If you want the embroidery, buy it directly and agree the price first.
Sleeping on the terrace
Guesthouses are wooden, family-run and basic: hot water, no lift, and a view that justifies the stairs. Rooms facing the terraces cost more and are worth it. Ask for a top floor, and ask in advance whether luggage is carried up from the car park, because at Ping an the alternative is a forty-minute climb with a suitcase.
Getting there
Eighty kilometres from Guilin: two hours to Longsheng county town, another forty minutes up the mountain. A private car is two and a half to three hours door to door. Public transport runs from Guilin Qintan bus station to Longsheng, then a local bus to the village gate, then a shuttle. The last shuttle up leaves in the late afternoon, so arriving after 17:00 means paying for a private car anyway.
What trips people up
- The car park is not the village. At Ping an it is a forty-minute climb with steps, up.
- Terrace paths flood and turn slick. Trainers with grip, not sandals.
- A room advertised as “terrace view” on the ground floor often faces the back of the next building.
- The harvest is a single event in late September. After it, the colour is gone for eight months.
- Nights are cold and damp even in summer. The altitude is only 1,000 m, but the humidity does the rest.
We use Ping an for one-night stops and Dazhai for two, and we book the guesthouse and the village transfer together. Tell us the month you are travelling and we will say which slope to be on.
Questions travellers ask
Ping an or Dazhai: which Longji village should I stay in?
Ping an for the easiest access, a forty-minute walk from the car park and the classic Seven Stars with Moon viewpoint. Dazhai in the Jinkeng area is larger, steeper, served by three cable cars, and better placed for sunrise from Tiantouzhai.
When are the Longji terraces at their best?
Mid-May to mid-June, when the paddies are flooded and reflect the sky, and late September to mid-October, when the rice turns gold before the single annual harvest. November to March is bare and often fogged in, though the terraces themselves still read clearly.
Can you walk between the Longji villages?
Yes. Ping an to Dazhai via Zhongliu is four to five hours on stone steps, with one steep climb and no shade in the middle of the day. It is waymarked but not always in English, and a local guide removes the guesswork at junctions.
How far are the terraces from Guilin?
About 80 km, two hours to Longsheng county town and another forty minutes up the mountain. Door to door from a Guilin hotel is two and a half to three hours, which is why a day trip spends more time in the vehicle than on the paths.