Overview

Located in northeast Guangxi, Longsheng was the earliest county established in southern China. Longsheng city is situated in a densely forrested area, 100km north of Guilin in the joint area of Heping River and Sang River. Longsheng itself is a rather ugly & noisy town, but it's a must stopover and transit hub for a trip to the famous Longji Rice Terrace in Ping'an and Jinkeng.

The 60sqkm of terraced rice southeast of Longsheng were first built in the Yuan dynasty and completed in the Qing dynasty by Zhuang people,along the slope winding from the riverside up to the mountaintop, with the highest place of an elevation of 885m and the lowest 380m. The coiling line spirals up from the mountain foot to the top, making the mountain looks like huge snail seen from afar.

The amazing scenery of the rice terrace is 2hrs away from Longsheng city, with minority villages scattered among it, including the Zhuang villages of Ping An and the Zhuang, Yao villages of Zhonglu, Dazhai and Xiaozhai.

Best times to go
Spring is the best time, when the amazing green rice terraces are filled with water.

Autumn offers a different color of the striking rice terraces.

How long?

Minimum 2 days, and you can spent a few more days at the mountaintop just for relaxing and counting the terrace.

Highlights
Sunrise at Jinkeng Rice Terrace / Trekking around the view points

Getting there & away

Step 1
from south
Yangshuo/Guilin --> Longsheng (or Heping)

Yangshuo has one bus leaving early in the morning for Longsheng. Or, you can take a bus to Guilin first and then catch a connection to Longsheng

Guilin Long-distance Bus Station has express and normal buses leaving for Longshen every 15 minutes,costs Y14~25 depends on bus type, around 2 hrs journey.

from north
Sanjiang --> Longsheng
Daily buses run from Sangjiang to Longsheng starting from 6am, Y20 /2hrs

Step 2
Longsheng--> Pingan/Jinkeng
After arriving at Longsheng bus station, there are buses every half an hour connecting Longsheng either to Pingan or to Jinkeng. It takes 1.5hrs from Longsheng to Jinkeng (33km, Y7.-).

* Heping Option: If you take a normal Longsheng bus from Guilin, you can get off at Heping (15km before Longsheng) and wait for the Longsheng-Jinkeng bus or Longsheng-ingan bus at Heping Cross instead of changing the bus in Longsheng. Anyway it takes only 10 minutes by bus from Heping to the entrance of Rice Terrace.

Admission Fee: Y50, presented on your way from Longsheng to Ping'an/Jinkeng, including both places.

Lodging

• Jinkeng

There are a lot of family-run hostels in Jinkeng, priced range from Y15~20/bed, shared bathroom, 24 hrs hot water.

The guesthouse Quanjinglou 全景楼 situated at the highest Viewpoint in Jinkeng, overlooking rice terraces and beautiful traditional Yao villages, offers the best view. The owner can arrange the guide for you to walk to Pingan: Y40/ per day.

Though every hostel offers food, suggest you east at the riverside restaurants downhill, on your way up to Dazhai. More choices and better taste.

• Ping'an

Most of traditional wooden houses in Pingan have been transformed to simple lodges, offering simple clean rooms for Y15/bed, shared bathroom with hot water and clean WC, with a fairly good view.

Trekking Route

There are 3 view points in Jinkeng Terrace, where you can enjoy different views of the scenery. Trekking to view points #1 and #2 from Dazhai takes about 15minutes, while a round trekking to #3 takes about 3 hrs.

View point #1 is the best location to view the sunrise, while #2 is good for sunset, #3 is offers the best panorama.

The ideal trekking route is from #3-->#1-->#2, recommended by a local photographer. You can stay in a hostel near view point #3 instead of Dazhai, though most travelers choose to stay at Dazhai.

It takes around 4 hours to trek from the Jinkeng Terrace to Ping'an Terrace.Stay overnight in Ping'an. Then walk from Pingan to Golden Zhuang Village via Old Zhuang Village (around 3 hours.) You can catch the bus for Longsheng on the road near Golden Zhuang Village.

Reminders

• Ping'an is frequented by tourists from Guilin. Jinkeng is still isolated and more beautiful. Avoid Pingan during the weekends.
  
  
• Spring water gurgles everywhere around the terrace, villagers bridge them out with a bamboo pipe so that the water is fetchable for drinking.Cool and a bit sweet.