Ping'an Travel: Rice Terraces and Zhuang Villages

Rice Terraces and Zhuang Villages

Every visitor in China visits the karst Mountains at Yangshuo at one point or another…. and rightfully so. Less well known, yet just as impressive are the highest altitude rice paddies in the world located only 3 hours away from Yanghuo.

A day trip from Yangshuo would be a shame; it would mean spending 6 hours in a minivan and you’ll already spend a lot of time on the road while in China. We prefer to arrange a transfer to these areas and two nights in a village amidst this rice territory. This village does not have any roads and can only be accessed on foot. The 800 inhabitants of this village live in wooden houses on high poles. The women of the village are beautifully decorated with silver jewellery and their hair is so long that they wind it around their heads like turbans. Visit this area and you’ll experience the heart of China.

Your guest house, which is run by the Zhuang Family, is built on poles and offers a breathtaking view of rice paddies and mountains. The day after your arrival you and a guide will walk through villages, past waterfalls and through farmland where you’ll see oxen at work.

Duration:	3 days/ 2 nights	Departure:	Daily - minimum of 2 participants
Comfort Level (1-5):	2 (see accommodation)	Accommodation:	Double occupancy room with shower, toilet in a basic guest house (accommodation only)
Price:	From AUD$245 per person - based on 2 people sharing	Included:	Transport, accommodation and hiking trips with English speaking guide
Transport:	Private transfer Yangshuo - Ping'an/ - Guilin airport	Excluded:	Meals and drinks, entrance fee into Ping'an (50 Yuan)

Day 1: Yangshuo - Ping'an

Most travellers travel from Yangshuo to Ping'an. These two cities are approximately three hours apart with the large city of Guilin in the middle of both cities. The scenery changes during the ride, from karst mountains and farmland to rugged hills and rice paddies. Your driver will drop you off at the trail that leads to Ping'an and will accompany to the area where a staff member of the hotel will be waiting for you. The 800 inhabitants of Ping'an live in isolation from the outside world. There are no roads leading into the village, you can only get there by foot during a 20 minute subtle climb (see picture). If you don’t feel like walking or carrying your luggage up, you can be carried up on a chair. It may feel quite decadent to be carried up the hill by a two men; however you’ll be helping them earn a living at the same time.

If you leave Yangshuo around 9:00, you’ll arrive in Ping'an around lunchtime. You’ll spend two nights in a guest house in the middle of rice paddies. Some rooms overlook the rice paddies, other have a view of the village. There’s electricity and warm water available in the morning and evening. The guest house has a large veranda outside where you can enjoy your meals in the open air with spectacular views of the rice paddies and the mountains. In no time at all you’ll become accustomed to the Ping'an atmosphere of peace and spaciousness.

There are few travel agencies that arrange hotel accommodation in this area due to the small number of guest houses and limited number of rooms available. Spending the night here means waking up to shrouds of mist between the mountains, walking or relaxing in nature in the afternoon and seeing the sun set behind the mountains, getting to know the locals or spending a quiet evening by moonlight on the porch in the evening. Our stay here was one of our most relaxing times in China.

After lunch you can explore the village independently. The Ping’an territory is home to the Zhuang minority. Around 5000 years ago they introduced the terraced irrigation system used for rice cultivation today.

If you would like to see more of the village and the surrounding area, go on a two hour walk around the village. There is a path that runs to view point 1 at the top of the village. Here you can stop for a drink and enjoy the view. Then you can continue on to view point 2 along the top with the village beneath you. Along the way you’ll probably run into the early inhabitants of Ping'an. The women will approach you and try to sell you homemade jewellery and embroidery works. Many of the Zhuang minority women, such as the women in this picture, have very long hair and wear it twisted around their heads.

For a few Yuan the women will untie their hair and you’ll see that their hair, at times supplemented with extensions, reaches their ankles. They are called the ‘longhairs' here. Their warm smiles which they greet you with radiate hospitality and openness.

Day 2: Ping'an - hike with a guide

At 9:00 you’ll take off with your guide on a walk through the world’s largest rice paddies, The Dragon's Bone or Long Ji. Your walk will be anything but ordinary. You’ll climb and descend through marvellous scenic areas, past rivers, through wooded areas and through rice paddies where the Zhuang push their oxen through the blubber. You’ll pass several villages, most of them nothing more than a few houses on built on poles, with friendly, curious inhabitants who will treat you their biggest, brightest smile when you pass. Around lunch time you’ll have a bite to eat and you’ll rest up for a bit in the village before continuing back to Ping'an.

This trek will take about 5 hours. If the weather is poor or if you don't feel like walking the entire 5 hours, there are also shorter treks available. In the evening, the Zhuang will show you their singing and dancing traditions at your request. The Zhuag perform a type of folk dancing for Chinese country women in traditional dress. Afterwards travellers usually gather on the veranda to sit, talk, drink or play a game until late in the evening.

Day 3: Departure from Ping'an

Before you leave, you’ll get to enjoy the quiet morning and the view of mist shrouded mountain tops in the distance. After breakfast on the veranda the sun will slowly climb into the heavens.

When the time comes for you to leave, you’ll take your luggage to the parking lot where your transfer will be waiting to take you to Guilin Airport (1.5 hour drive). Your plane may leave very early in the morning; therefore you may need a flashlight to find your way back to the parking lot, accompanied by one of the hotel staff.

Most travellers continue on to Shanghai or Hong Kong to end their China trip there. If you prefer to end your China holiday at a beach instead of in the city, you’ll fly to Kanton (Guangzhou) and then on to Hainan.

Ping'an travel - Longji

Best time to visit Ping'an

The best time to travel to Ping'an is from March to October. In August rice is harvested which is quite interesting to watch. If you prefer travelling during low travel season, for instance in December, Ping'an will be quiet and a walk through this area will be just as impressive as during the summertime.

There are no ATMs in Ping'an. Be sure to bring along enough cash for entrance fees, meals and drinks.

A peek at your Ping'An accommodation

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