Guilin to Longji Rice Terraces and Minority Villages
8:00 am - 10:30 am, receive a hotel pickup and drive to Longji Ancient Zhuang Village.
Your guide will be waiting in your hotel's lobby or another appointed location at the agreed time, usually 8:00 am. The tour guide will hold a banner with your name so that you can recognize him or her immediately.
You'll join a small group with no more than 10 participants, a great size to ensure a better travel experience.
After collecting all participants, your tour group will head to the first destination - Longji Ancient Zhuang Village. It takes about 2 hours (108 kilometres) to get there from Guilin, while it takes about 2.5 hours (152 kilometres) from Yangshuo County.
10:30 am - 12:00 pm, visit the Ancient Zhuang Village.
The Longji Rice Terraced Fields are located in Longsheng County, Guilin. They span six villages and have more than 2,000 years of history.
The local Zhuang and Yao people have farmed these mountainous fields daily, year after year.
Their ancestors would never have dreamed that this tough terraced land, farmed with their tears and sweat, could be transformed in such a way over time and now reward the locals with amazing scenery that attracts the rest of the world.
The ancient Zhuang village you will visit is a small and quiet village with more than 300 Zhuang families. Many of the local residences have a history of over 100 years. This village has now become a window into Zhuang culture for the rest of the world. Longji Ancient Zhuang Village originates from the Zhuang people's terraced fields. The highest altitude in the village is about 1,300 meters, while the lowest altitude is 350 meters. The terraced fields there look magnificent.
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm, hike from the Ancient Zhuang Village to Ping'an Village.
After admiring the beautiful terraced fields from Slender Ditch, you will hike to another famous village - Ping'an Village. This hike takes about 1 hour to complete and covers a distance of about 8 kilometres. The condition of the road you'll hike along isn't bad - there are no steep or dangerous paths, and only a medium level of energy is required.
Hiking tips: for children over 3 years old, this hike can be a little challenging, but they can mostly complete it with extra encouragement from their parents.
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm, take a lunch break.
After completing the 1-hour hike, you will finally arrive at Ping'an Village. You will have lunch at a local farmer's family restaurant, where you can taste delicious local dishes such as bamboo rice and other minority dishes.
2:00 pm - 3:30 pm, visit the Seven Stars with the Moon viewing point.
After lunch and feeling refreshed, you'll visit the most famous village in Longji - Ping'an Village. You'll see the beautiful scenery of Longji's magnificent terraced fields - this area is a paradise for shutterbugs.
Many award-winning pictures were taken in this village. That's why it has become increasingly famous, attracting many tourists every year.
First, you'll head to the Seven Stars with the Moon viewing point. There, you'll see seven terraced fields surrounding a small hill - that's why people gave it this name.
On the way, you'll have a chance to see many long-haired Yao ladies. You can speak with an elderly Yao lady with very long hair who has come from another nearby village so that you can learn about another ethnic group. The Yao people favour red clothing, and the women always have long hair.
In their culture, girls are only allowed to cut their hair twice.
3:30 pm - 4:00 pm, visit the Nine Dragons and Five Tigers viewing point.
Keep walking to the most beautiful viewing point - Nine Dragons and Five Tigers. This viewing point is the highlight of the day. See the awe-inspiring view of the terraced fields, consider the wisdom of the Zhuang people and all the hard work they have put into this land, and appreciate the beautiful harmony between man and nature.
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm, drive back to Guilin or Yangshuo.
Your trip ends after visiting the Nine Dragons and Five Tigers. You'll be dropped off safely at your hotel in Guilin or Yangshuo.
