Yuanyang Rice Terraces

It’s easiest to get here from Kunming. From either Kunming Railway Station, or Kunmingnan Railway Station, you will have to get a train to Jianshui. In Jianshui you will have to go to the Jianshui Bus Terminal, and buy tickets for a bus to Xinjie Bus Terminal.

Once you are in Xinjie, you can use the shared taxis to get to your accommodation. The taxi drivers will be around you the moment you exit the bus. You should pay around 20 yuan per person to bring you to your accommodation. It’s a shared taxi, so the taxi will leave when it’s full.

This is also the easiest way to get around the area. When you are walking on the streets in the scenic area, the shared taxis will also be driving around. When they see you they will honk or slow down, and if you want you can ask them to bring you to your destination. You can also order private taxis from your accommodation. Didi is not available in this area.

Location of Kunming Railway Station (昆明站).

Location of Kunmingnan Railway Station (昆明南站).

Location of Jianshui Railway Station (建水站).

Location of Jianshui Bus Terminal (建水客运站).

Location of Xinjie Bus Terminal (元阳新街客运站).

Around this scenic area there are a lot of different spots to go to. You can hike through the rice terraces, there are specific spots for sunrise, and other spots for sunset. My advice would be to ask your accommodation for help. They know the area, and they can point you to all the best places and give you advice.

For the single best source of information in the whole area, I would recommend going to Jacky, from Jacky’s Guesthouse. Jacky speaks perfect English, and is very helpful for all your questions, also when you are not staying at his guesthouse. Jacky helped us with an amazing hike through the rice fields, and he can also help with things like:

• Booking bus tickets for your return

• The best sunrise or sunset spots

(Just to be clear, this is not a paid promotion, or anything like that, this is just me, shouting out the most helpful guy in the area.)

Again in short, this area is famous for the rice terraces, which is an UNESCO World Heritage Cultural Landscape. The terraces are built by the Hani ethnic minority, who have cared for these terraces for 1300 years. The Hani people are also known for their villages, and the unique mushroom shaped houses. While you are in this area you will see a mix between the Hani, and Han Chinese people. A few areas which you could visit:

• Duoyishu: known for the sunrise, and the reflection of the sunrise in the rice terraces.

• Bada: known the sunset, and the view across the rice terraced levels.

• Laohuzui: known for the steep mountains with layered rice terraces.

• Azheke Village: a traditional Hani village where you can see the mushroom houses

The weather can be very hard to predict in this area. We had a lot of mist, and then suddenly everything was clear. This was around April. You are higher up into the mountains, so it will be colder here than for example in Kunming.

This is a big area with a lot of different highlights, so like I said before, try and ask for recommendations at your accommodation. Most of the areas you will go to should be free. If you have to pay for anything it should be the transport. Still make sure to always have your passport with you, since this is mandatory in China.