The Jinkeng Rice Terraces - Site for Most Awesome Longji Photos

In the Jinkeng area, there are over 6 villages and thousands of terraces, thus Jinkeng is such a large area that you could hard to enjoy the whole scenic area at one glance. All the tourist cars and public coaches can only stop at Dazhai Poking Lot, where is also the entrance of the Jinkeng scenic area. Dazhai Village is the first stop of Jinkeng area. You can get to Dazhai from the entrance after about 10 minutes’ walk. Standing there, you can start your Jinkeng exploring trip from all directions. Usually, it is not enough to explore Jinkeng in a day, especially for the travelers who want an in-depth photography or hiking tour. To help you better plan a Jinkeng highlights tour, you are highly suggested to know the below four best viewpoints in advance.

No.1 Viewpoint - West Hill Music(西山韶乐)

The No.1 Viewpoint - West Hill Music is the highest viewpoint (about altitude 1,180 m; 3,870 ft) in Jinkeng Rice Terraces and is also widely known as the top 1 choice to enjoy the rice terrace view, especially for sunrise and sunset. About 90% of Longji Rice Terraces photos are taken there. It takes about 2 hours if you hike from Dazhai Village there, and about 1 hour hike from the Tiantou Village (田头寨) at the middle of the mountain, where most of Jinkeng’s hotels settle in.

No.2 Viewpoint - Large-scale Thousand-Layers Terraces (千层天梯)

When you enter the Dazhai Village on the mountain foot of the Jinkeng scenic area from the parking lot, the No.2 viewpoint - Large-scale Thousand-Layers Terraces is almost at the top of the hill on your left side. Climbing up to this viewpoint takes about 1 hour. And hiking to Tiantou Village from there takes less than half an hour. Standing at the nine-story viewing platform there built for visitors, you can have a close view of numerous terraces spreading straightly down to the Dazhai Village. Besides, you can even admire the imposing terraces on the opposite mountain and the cable cars that climb slowly up to the No.3 Viewpoint – Golden Buddha Peak.

No.3 Viewpoint - Golden Buddha Peak (金佛顶)

Golden Buddha Peak gets its name for it looks like a Buddha Maitreya, from Tiantou Village that settles on the opposite hill. The Golden Buddha Peak is the only viewpoint of the whole Longji Rice Terraces that can be reached by taking direct cable cars. There, you can have a panoramic view of the spectacular rice terraces of the whole Jinkeng Scenic Area. On the left side of the viewing gallery, there is a small viewing platform that can enjoy “the eagle wings” formed by rice terraces, while at the right side of the gallery you can enjoy the “phoenix”. It takes about 22 minutes by taking the cable car from Dazhai Parking Lot and about 1-2 hours by hiking from Dazhai Village to the Golden Buddha Peak.

Seven Stars Accompany the Moon (七星追月)

At Tiantou Village, there is also a small viewpoint named Seven Stars Accompany the Moon (七星追月), which is looking similar to the “Seven Stars Accompany the Moon” (七星伴月) in Ping'an Rice Terraces Scenic Area. Standing at this viewpoint there is a big moon-like field surrounded by seven circular and small piles of rocks left when the area was developed. The looks just like seven stars accompany with a moon. For the travelers who missed the “Seven stars with month” in Ping'an, it is also a great place to enjoy the masterpiece of rice terraces carved by industrious Red Yao people.

Best Jinkeng Rice Terraces Tour:

▶ 5 Days Guilin Tour with Yangshuo & Longji Rice Terrace

▶ 6 Days In-depth Guilin Tour from Hong Kong

Usually, water diversion for irrigation and rice seedlings planting are the theme work from mid-April to mid-June in Jinkeng. The local Yao people begin to irrigate the Jinkeng Rice Fields from mid-April, and it usually takes about half a month to full fill the fields by water. Another half a month after that, the locals begin to plant rice seedlings. Thus, if you go to Jinkeng during mid-April to mid-June, you can encounter with the mirror-like watery fields glittering in the sunlight and the local labor life of Yao nationality people.

Warm tip: The irrigation and planting time varies according to actual situation. In 2016, the irrigation work ended at the end of May, while in 2018 the irrigation work ended in the middle of June. You can contact us for the detailed irrigation time.

● From mid-June to mid-September - time for green rice plants filling the terraces.

Usually, the rice seedlings have been planted for about one month if you go to Jinkeng after mid-June. Thus, you can have a close experience of those grand rice terraces with mesmerizing green rice plants.

● From late September to early October - time for layers of golden rice plants.

This period of time is the peak season of Longji Rice Terraces. The “yellow sea” formed by rice terraces stretches to mountains and mountains of Jinkeng area. Standing at anywhere of Jinkeng, you can enjoy the marvelous layers of golden yellow rice plants.

Hiking from Ping'an Village to Jinkeng via Zhongliu Village (中六村) is the most popular and wild hiking route in Longji Rice Terraces scenic area, especially for the hiking enthusiasts. This deep hiking route takes about 4-4.5 hours, including about 2 hours’ hiking from Ping'an to Zhongliu Village and another 2-2.5 hours’ hiking from Zhongliu Village to Tiantou Village in Jinkeng. Compared with Ping'an, Jinkeng is farther from the tourist entrance. Thus, travelers usually choose to stay at Ping'an Village for a night, and then visit the Seven Stars Accompany the Moon (七星伴月) and Nine Dragons and Five Tigers (九龙五虎) in the next morning before hiking from Ping'an to Jinkeng. After arriving at Tiantou Village, they will stay there for a night to relax themselves.

Warm Tip: You are highly suggested to wear long pants even in summer if you want to hike from Ping'an to Jinkeng for sometimes there may be snakes or mosquitos.

Recommended Tour:

▶ 6 Days In-depth Guilin Tour from Hong Kong

Among the whole Longji Terraced Fields Scenic Area, cable cars are only available between the Golden Buddha Peak (金佛顶) and Dazhai Parking Lot (大寨停车场). By taking those cable cars, travelers can conveniently go up or down the hill within about 22 minutes. Besides, travelers can have a clear panoramic view of the whole Jinkeng Terraced Fields Area when the cable cars move slowly up or down.

Warm Tip for Taking the Jinkeng Cable Car

The cable cars may be stopped for fault during the trip. Do not worry much about that and do not open the door while stopping, just sit calmly and wait for the worker’s arrangement.

In Jinkeng area, hotels are mainly settled at Dazhai Village and Tiantou Village. The former village is at the bottle of Jinkeng area, while the latter is located at about the half way of No.1 Viewpoint - West Hill Music and No.2 Viewpoint - Large-scale Thousand-Layers Terraces (千层天梯). Aside from the two places, there are also some hotels near each viewpoint.

Most of the hotels there can provide with hot water, air condition, a TV, private washroom, etc. And some of them have free-wifi and private viewing balcony. All the hotels in Jinkeng area are externally in traditional looks, while inside of the hotel, there may be wooden ones or modern ones. You can choose the wooden guesthouses to experience the local life or the modern ones for a more comfortable sleep. The most modern hotel there is Quanjinglou (全景楼 'Panorama Lodge') that is next to the No.1 Viewpoint - West Hill Music (西山韶乐).