Eating in China when you don’t know the language makes ordering rather interesting. In a restaurant not too long ago, I had to point at pictures of menu items while grunting like a pig and doing the chicken dance. Ten minutes after entertaining restaurant patrons with my imitations, a large plate came out with whichever meat the laughing servers and I were able to decide on – and lots of rice. Always rice.
To say that rice is loved in China is an understatement. The country has the highest rice consumption of any country and produces more rice than anywhere else in the world: more than 200-million tons in 2014. But rice farming not only creates a highly needed resource that is exported globally, it also attracts adventurers to the southern province of Guangxi. Not only does its rice feed the world, but the otherworldly sight of the terraced rice paddies also feeds the soul.
But my first image, when I arrived at the Dragon Backbone Rice Terraces of Guangxi (also know as the Longji Terraces), was a crowded parking lot full of annoyed people waiting impatiently for a cable car. Perhaps, I worried, my partner and I had made a mistake in coming here. Just up ahead from the madness, however, along an old cracked stone path, my partner pointed out a sign, “Terraces this way.” Relieved, we followed it. The manmade stone path wends alongside a clean, slow-moving stream that took us through a narrow ravine with high hills sheltering us from the hot summer sun.
After 15 minutes the ravine widened and I had my first glimpse of the magnificent marvel of engineering: The terraced paddy fields cascaded down the 1,000-metre mountain to the base of the ravine. The grass on the terraces moved with the wind and radiated several different hues of green that made the hills look like a bright green river. Among the terraces, farmers wearing douli, conical hats fashioned from bamboo, toiled away in their rubber boots and we noticed several scattered tiny villages of traditional wooden houses. We were awestruck by the raw beauty and decided to find a place to stay higher up the mountain to enjoy both the sunset and sunrise.
Instead of the busy cable car route to the north, we chose a primitive stone path that went up the southern half of the mountain. As we climbed, we passed several smiling Yao women with their long, black hair wrapped around their heads. They wore traditional, brightly coloured southern Chinese outfits and had large wicker baskets strapped to their backs.
We passed several inns and small hotels in the villages on our hike, but we ventured higher for better photographs. At last we came to the edge of a small bamboo forest that overlooked the terraces near the peak. Nestled in the hill was a family-run restaurant with only two tables and the owner, using hand gestures, let us know he had a room for rent. Exhausted and dehydrated, we happily accepted the room. Nearby, I noticed a large brown snake in a rusted metal cage. “Was it a pet?” I motioned to the owner. Using universal hand gestures, he told me the snake was for dinner. Sometimes when travelling I forget how different things are from Canada.
That evening after dinner – no, we did not eat the snake – my partner and I sat overlooking the terraces enjoying a pot of tea. The sun slowly set, the fireflies came out and the stars broke out one by one. We realized that we had been in China for 18 days and this was the first time we had seen the stars. Up here in the Dragon Backbone Rice Terraces, there is virtually no light pollution – the cities are all several hours away – and that keeps the air clean and clear.
We woke up early to capture the sunrise and spent some time with our host’s children chasing chickens – which would later become lunch – until it was time for us to leave. While enjoying our leisurely hike down the stone steps we came across a well-dressed Chinese couple coming up the mountain. A few minutes later we passed three of the Yao women we had seen before. The first two carried a large suitcase in their basket while the third sauntered along with the couple’s young child happily bouncing around in her basket.
“Why didn’t we think of that!” I said with a laugh to my partner.
IF YOU GO
The best way to get to the terraces is by three-hour shuttle from the city of Guilin (about $10). Any hotel in Guilin can help you book the trip, as most of the drivers do not speak English. The shuttles leave every morning from the Guilin train station. Guilin is accessible by train, bus or plane from most of the surrounding country.
What to do
Take in the scenery. Enjoy the quiet and solitude of the terraces. There are several short walks to viewing points and several great hiking and photo opportunities. The trek from one side of the terraces to the other can take several hours and is clearly signed. Do not worry about getting lost as there are several farmers and more than enough homestay hosts to help if you lose your way.
Where to stay
Accommodation here is much more rustic than in the rest of China. There are several homestays scattered in all the villages where you can stay in traditional wooden homes (between $10 and $20). However, tourism has started to boom at the terraces, which means larger hotels are starting to pop up.