Yuanyang Rice Terraces 元阳梯田
Hani rice terraces, best at sunrise and sunset.
High in the Ailao mountains above the Red River. Stay at least two nights to see the terraces at sunrise and sunset, ideally in a guesthouse right above the fields.
What to see
Hani Rice Terraces 哈尼梯田
For more than a thousand years the Hani people have carved terraces into the mountains of Yuanyang – a UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape. Watch the sunrise at Duoyishu, when mist drifts over thousands of water-filled terraces, and the sunset at Bada or Laohuzui.
- Best from December to March, when the terraces are filled with water.
Hani Villages 哈尼村寨
Between the terraces lie Hani villages with their mushroom-shaped thatched houses, such as Azheke. Walk down through the terraces with a local guide and see how the water flows from the forest down through the fields.