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| Longji (Dragon Backbone) Rice Terrace Field |
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| In the southeast of Long Sheng County in Guilin, there is a group of large-scaled rice terraces built into the hillside. Some of the terraces look like great chains, other look 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. There are layers on layers of terraces, high and low. The outline is very smooth. Its scale is enormous. |
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| There are numerous terraced fields, of which the terraced Fields in Longji village show a picture of great momentum and imposing beauty. It is 22.5 km from the county seat and 108 km. from the city of Guilin. The terraced fields are built along the slope winding from the riverside up to the mountain top, the highest part being 880 m in elevation while the lowest part 380 m in elevation. |
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| The coiling line that starts from the mountain foot to up to the divides the mountain into layers of water glittering in the sun in spring, layers of green rice shoots in summer, layers of golden rice in fall, and layers of silvery frost in winter. The terraced fields were mostly built during the Ming Dynasty about 500 years ago. |
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| Besides of the famous known Pingan village of Zhuang Minority Ethnic, there is another unknown Jinkeng Rice Terrace, which is home to Yao minorities. Jinkeng Rice Terraces are located around 25 miles (40 km) away from Longsheng, where you will be rewarded feats of farm engineering going all the way up a string of 2400 feet (800 m) mountains. The 66-square-km network irrigation project was began by the ethnic Zhuang in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), and finished by the Qing (1644-1911). |
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| There are two villages here in Jinkeng. The first village at the foot of the mountain is Dazai Village. Further uphill Yao people two-story cabins are nestled against the breathtaking man-made wonder. The layout of the village mimics the terraces fields symmetry, giving an appearance that the houses are stacked on top of one another- an integrated part of the land. |
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| Climbing up the hill for 60 minutes, you will arrive Tiantouzai Village, where you will have a panoramic view of the whole area of Jinkeng Rice Terrace. Jinkeng rice terrace and villages here has not yet been known to many tourist, the facilities here are difficult, about 30 minutes extra drive then to Pingan village, muddy and bumping road, that is part of the reason why most of the drivers and tour guides will not take visitors to this remote village. |
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| This area is simply one of those amazing places on Earth. The local minority Zhuang and Yao girls dressed in their own colors may have a demonstration on hair combing or singing and dancing upon guests' request and gratuity. This is the best place to view the colorful minority tribes of China. The life style, the primitive way of production and culture of ethnic minorities might bring you to the history of thousand years ... |
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