terraced fields of Long Ji

The terrace is distributed in between 300 to 1,100 meters above sea level, gradient is mostly in between 26 to 35 degrees, the most gradient is 50 degrees. The area is about 66 sq. km.

Long Ji terrace field is one of the 3 biggest terrace fields in China, was originally built in Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), finished in early Qing dynasty(1636-1912), having had 650 years history.

Long Ji Terrace Field is consists of Ping An Zhuang Minority Terrace Field and Jin Keng Red Miao Minority Terrace Field.

In Long Ji mountain, there are 2 Zhuang villages, Ping An Village, and Long Ji village.

Pin An Hotel (meaning peace), is the hotel we stayed in, which is located in Ping An village.

Ping An village is over 1,200 meters above sea level high. There are more than 50 families, over 200 members live in the village. Generations by generations, they relayed on the farm work. Due to the terrace tour, villager life has been changed a little bit, they built some new "Diao Jiao Lou", the wooden houses with tile roofs and stilt-like supports built on hillsides, to set up the Houses as family motels.

Ping An village is almost at the top of the mountain. It is really beautiful...but getting there is not easy. Motorized vehicles only go bottom of the lower slope of the mountain. The road ends at the entrance gate to the mountain path. Here, a small fee is collected. Some villagers act as porters for both luggage and people. Best advice...pay the porter and don't complain about the price. When you reach the upper slopes, you will very glad for you agreed to spend the money.

The grade deceptively starts at about 15-20 degrees. The path is wide and paved. Looks like a pleasant walk......get a porter. As you progress along, the paved path gets narrower and steeper. If you ask how much farther....the response is always going to be 10 minutes. After much longer than "10 minutes" you will come to a covered bridge. Don't get over confident...After the bridge, the serious climb begins. The higher section is very steep and the narrow "path" is now a series of irregular rocks placed to form steps. The pathways are over 300 years old and are considered as a gift from past generations. They are carefully maintained by the villagers. The year Jessy and I were there, the village had earned enough money from tourism to buy 2 horses to use as pack animals. (Mules are more expensive than horses.) Previously, all the building materials, etc. had been carried up the mountain by the villages.