| About 100 km north west from Guilin the little town of Longsheng is a center in the region. The area has many minorities. The main majority groups here are the Miao and the Dong. About 25 km from Longsheng you will find quite a bit up in the hills the little village of Ping An.
Ping An, near Longsheng, north of Guilin
Ping An is the main village here. The village is build on a hill slope. Nowadays there's an excellent asphalt road that connects the main ongoing road from Guilin to Longsheng. From the riverside to the village is a steep 5km climb.
The first time I was in Ping An, this last 5 km didn't exist. At the time, the only way to reach the village was to climb up. Few people these days do that as it is a hard climb.
Ping An is definitely worth a visit. If you come at the right time of the year, when the padifields are wet or filled with young rice, the views are absolute magic.
Nowadays there are plenty of little guesthouses and restaurants. And although the road now goes all the way up, as I said, the last 5 km swindles up (I remember very well as I cycled it up). However, the road stops a few hundred meter from the village. The last part you have to walk yourself. First you cross an old wooden bridge and then the stairs lead you to the village.
The rice terraces of Ping An, Longsheng
The magic is the views all over. In the area you can do treks to some Miao and Dong villages. It is useful to use a guide. |
