4 Days Rice Terraces Photography Tour

Begin your journey through the diverse landscapes of China's most spectacular province in the regional capital of Kunming. One of our English-speaking tour guides and a professional driver will pick you up in the morning from your hotel. We will take the 7-hour journey south to one of the most spectacular sceneries in the world, the Yuanyang Scenic Area, maybe Yunnan’s most famous UNESCO World Heritage sites. Yuanyang is a big area, with the stunning rice terraces spread between several small villages. We will first visit Qingkou Village, tucked away in a valley. Qingkou is a typical Hani ethnic minority hamlet, where the Hani people managed to practice their agriculture in perfect balance with nature for over a thousand years. Primal country life still exists in this place where forest, village, watering system and fields created a unique working ecosystem.

We then visit Bada Rice Terraces, the biggest of all the rice terraces in Yuanyang area, that covers the entire valley like a colorful carpet. Later in the evening, we’ll head to the rice terraces at Laohuzui, or translated ‘Tiger Mouth’. A fierce name that reflects the intensiveness of magnificence of the terraced valley, with vivid and iridescent reflections on the water during sunset, her colors changing like a kaleidoscope. Definitely a stop for photographers, but also for anyone who wants to experience this magical moment without lens.

Later in the evening, we’ll head to the rice terraces at Laohuzui, or translated ‘Tiger Mouth’. A fierce name that reflects the intensiveness of magnificence of the terraced valley, with vivid and iridescent reflections on the water during sunset, her colors changing like a kaleidoscope. Definitely a stop for photographers, but also for anyone who wants to experience this magical moment without lens.

Get up very early in the morning and drive through the early twilight hours to Duoyishu Village. Here you will find the best place in the area to see the golden sun rise over the mountains and shine her pink and azure light on the shimmering water of the rice paddies. You can visit Sheng Village, an important trade centre where the locals from the villages come to trade wares. Every 5 days there’s a bustling market where you can find Hani and Yi minorities, many of them dressed in their traditional clothing, weave baskets, sell fruits, homemade alcohol, livestock and fresh meat or smoke their bamboo bongs.

In the afternoon we drive to Xinjie Town, where we will visit Quanfuzhuang Village. This village has one of the most beautiful terraces in the region. You can hike along the terraces if you’d like.

In the morning you will get driven to Jianshui (3.5 hours). On the way we will first stop over at a small architectural gem, Tuanshan Village. If you want an idea of how the Chinese used to live a few centuries ago, this Qing-dynasty village is the place to visit. It was founded in the late 14th century, but most of her present buildings were built in the late 19th century. Grand houses with courtyards were built by villagers who earned money from trade made possible by the Yunnan-Vietnam railroad.

We continue our way to Jianshui ancient town, with still the original style of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). Many buildings are still intact, like the impressive gate tower Chaoyang Tower, the only city gate to have survived wars, weather and time.

The most famous attraction in Jianshui is the Zhu Family Garden. This 20.000 square meter private complex was built over 30 years in the late Qing dynasty (1644-1911) by the influential Zhu brothers, and is downright impressive in its gigantic size and historical importance. The brothers earned their wealth by trading in everything possible from tin to opium until they eventually fell victim to the political chaos in 1911.

After breakfast we will visit a local tofu workshop (about 30 minutes) as tofu is one of the most important foods of the area. See how they still produce this local product the traditional way, from sweet water from an old well, and have a try at it yourself. Afterwards we visit the Confucius Temple, which is the second largest of its kind in the whole of China. Built in 1285 and astoundingly well preserved, this temple is a precious architectural and cultural relic. Continuing to Kunming (about 3 hours) where you will be dropped off at your hotel or train station if wanted.