During my first trip to China I visited the rice terraces in Guanxi. They were really impressive, but what you get to see in Yuanyang is a few levels up. Hundreds and hundreds of rice terraces flooded with water, plus beautiful tiny villages, local markets and hiking opportunities make Yuanyang one of the highlights of the trip to Yunnan.
After the pleasant days in Xishuangbanna we took the bus at 12pm heading to Nansha, which is the capital of the Yuanyang region. This one was not a sleeper bus but a normal one with seats and supposed to last for about 9 to 10 hours. Surprisingly, after a bit less than 8 hours and after a ride through beautiful jungle landscape, we were in Nansha.
The weather there was even nicer than in Jinghong, so after looking for a hotel close to the bus station (it was already dark and to get to the rice terraces you have to go up to the mountains for another couple of hours) we headed for some street food.
Life in Nansha was pretty much as in Jinghong: a South East Asian feel, people walking and eating on the street... but we didn't have much time to enjoy the city life, so a bit of food and to the hotel to have some rest.
Life in Nansha was pretty much as in Jinghong: a South East Asian feel, people walking and eating on the street... but we didn't have much time to enjoy the city life, so a bit of food and to the hotel to have some rest.
A close-up of the rice terraces
The next day we woke up and looked for some transportation to Xianje and Duoyishu, where we had our hostel. We managed to find a minibus going there, but the problem was that nobody else was joining, so after spending some good hour looking for more passengers and even having our driver fined by the police, we started driving uphill to Xianje.
The road from Nansha to Xianje is spectacular: narrow, going all the way uphill and offering impressive views of the valley where Nansha is. Finally, the driver told us he could go all the way to Duoyishu, and so we did, having the first glimpse of the rice terraces on the way. And you can already see how impressive they are.
The road from Nansha to Xianje is spectacular: narrow, going all the way uphill and offering impressive views of the valley where Nansha is. Finally, the driver told us he could go all the way to Duoyishu, and so we did, having the first glimpse of the rice terraces on the way. And you can already see how impressive they are.
View from Bada
Duoyishu is a really small village in the mountain, but with a privileged setting as it is in the middle of the terraces. The driver dropped us on the road and from there there's a quite downhill walk to get to tthe village and to the hostel.
This time the hostel was really nice with a perfect location, but with one problem: nobody was there, only a member from the staff who didn't speak any English but who offered us some food, so after eating some noodles and waiting for a while, Richard appeared. He's the owner of the hotel, a young guy from Shanghai who moved here in search of peace. He was stressed like hell, tired, running everywhere... a really strange guy. he gave us the key to the room and immediately disappeared, so we were left alone with no information of any kind.
This time the hostel was really nice with a perfect location, but with one problem: nobody was there, only a member from the staff who didn't speak any English but who offered us some food, so after eating some noodles and waiting for a while, Richard appeared. He's the owner of the hotel, a young guy from Shanghai who moved here in search of peace. He was stressed like hell, tired, running everywhere... a really strange guy. he gave us the key to the room and immediately disappeared, so we were left alone with no information of any kind.
Duoyishu Village
So, instead of Richard, we asked some guests that were there about where to go, what to do etc. First we walked around the village a bit (really nice one, with Hani people knitting on the street, pigs, water buffalos and chickens wandering around freely...) and visited its main square to have the first view of the rice terraces. Wow! That very first view of the terraces was really a big thing! Impressive. You get a top view of hundreds of rice terraces flooded with water (they are flooded only in winter). Yes, it was a right decision to have come to Yuanyang.
Back into the hostel, Richard appeared again and this time he gave us a bit more of imnformation, enough for the rest of the day, at least.
Back into the hostel, Richard appeared again and this time he gave us a bit more of imnformation, enough for the rest of the day, at least.
And that rest of the day was spent going up to the main road, walking along it for a while to enter one of the 4 main viewpoints they have (this one over Duoyishu for better views of the terraces than from the main square), to see a bit of the region life (people working on the field, water buffalos...) and finally taking a local minibus to Bada to watch the sunset over the rice terraces.
We got to Bada viewpoint well before the sunset and what we found there was crazy. If the whole Yuanyang area is quite laid back and relaxed, at the sunset (and sunrise) times, the main viewpoints get fuly crowded with Chinese tourists waiting there for hours with their megacameras and megatripods. They all look like from the National Geographic waiting for the perfect shot to publish it in the cover of the magazine. In my opinion, they are not much more than idiots that are travelling around in group with a photographic kit that weighs twice their own weight. Very smart! The annoying thing is that they quite spoil the whole place, as they put all the tripods and stuff there and you have to find a tiny gap to admire the view.
We got to Bada viewpoint well before the sunset and what we found there was crazy. If the whole Yuanyang area is quite laid back and relaxed, at the sunset (and sunrise) times, the main viewpoints get fuly crowded with Chinese tourists waiting there for hours with their megacameras and megatripods. They all look like from the National Geographic waiting for the perfect shot to publish it in the cover of the magazine. In my opinion, they are not much more than idiots that are travelling around in group with a photographic kit that weighs twice their own weight. Very smart! The annoying thing is that they quite spoil the whole place, as they put all the tripods and stuff there and you have to find a tiny gap to admire the view.
The Chinese National Geographic photographers wannabes
Anyway, we could find the gap and without paying much attention to the Chinese freaks, we could enjoy the sunset. Actually "enjoy" wouldn't be the appropriate term, better just "see" the sunset, as it was nothing really spectacular. To have a spectacular view you need clouds on the sky, so they reflect the colors of the sun in the water of the terraces, but this time the sky was perfectly clear, so even if the sunset was nice, it was not that big something. Besides, in Yuanyang when the sun sets it gets really cold, so we just headed back to the hostel straight after the Sun went down.
Some more noodles (already starting to hate Yunnan noodles) and to bed after telling Richard that the following day we would like to visit a local market held in a nearby village. For that, he offered us to go with him and with a few other travellers around 11, to what we agreed.
Some more noodles (already starting to hate Yunnan noodles) and to bed after telling Richard that the following day we would like to visit a local market held in a nearby village. For that, he offered us to go with him and with a few other travellers around 11, to what we agreed.
Wanna buy a duck? Go to a local market in Yuanyang!
Next morning we woke up really early to check the sunrise from the viewpoint we had up on the road just a few minutes from the hostel. It was really cold and, again, the hordes of Chinese freaks were already awaiting for the event there. And, same as in the previous sunset, the sunrise was not really spectacular.
Back to the hostel, jumped into a minivan with a Chinese guy, two Italian girls and a Swiss-Chinese other girl and to the market. We drove for one hour to reach a small village close to Xianje. There is actually almost one market every day in a different village and they are following the Chinese calendar. This is, every day the market is devoted to a different animal. In this case, it was the chicken market, and of course, there were plenty of chickens and ducks being sold.
Back to the hostel, jumped into a minivan with a Chinese guy, two Italian girls and a Swiss-Chinese other girl and to the market. We drove for one hour to reach a small village close to Xianje. There is actually almost one market every day in a different village and they are following the Chinese calendar. This is, every day the market is devoted to a different animal. In this case, it was the chicken market, and of course, there were plenty of chickens and ducks being sold.
The Hani local market
The visit to the market was really nice. You see all the Hani women dressed in their traditional costumes shopping around, as well as other Hani people selling their products. Besides chickens and ducks, they sell clothes, tools, food... even water buffalos!
We had some food in the area devoted to restaurants (just tables and chairs scattered all around) and went back to Duoyishu, this time stopping enroute for some hiking. Richard appeared in the market and told us if we fancied some hinking in the middle of the rice terraces. We agreed and started walking for a few kilometers. It was really really nice, as you see the terraces from a different point of view and you pass by small villages whose main inhabitants are pigs, water buffalos or chickens. It was like being back in time a few centuries!
We finished the hiking at a viewpoint to wait for the sunset, this time a different one than the day before. Richard went to the hostel and we were supposed to be picked up by the driver after the sunset. It was nice, but I wonder who was in the hostel while Richard was away. Probably nobody, this guy is crazy...
We had some food in the area devoted to restaurants (just tables and chairs scattered all around) and went back to Duoyishu, this time stopping enroute for some hiking. Richard appeared in the market and told us if we fancied some hinking in the middle of the rice terraces. We agreed and started walking for a few kilometers. It was really really nice, as you see the terraces from a different point of view and you pass by small villages whose main inhabitants are pigs, water buffalos or chickens. It was like being back in time a few centuries!
We finished the hiking at a viewpoint to wait for the sunset, this time a different one than the day before. Richard went to the hostel and we were supposed to be picked up by the driver after the sunset. It was nice, but I wonder who was in the hostel while Richard was away. Probably nobody, this guy is crazy...
So, after freezing to wait for the sunset, we headed back to Duoyishu and went with the guys to have dinner at a local restaurant. The meal was really good and cheap, as it was good having a break from the tiring noodle soup and enjoying some veggies and meat.
We ended up the day relaxing at the hostel and trying to get some help from stressed Richard on how to get to Dali, our next destination the following day.
The days in yuanyang, despite the chaos that Richard is, were really profitable and definitely one of the highlights of the trip so far. What the Hani people built there hundreds of years ago is really impressive and it is a totally reccomendable trip for anyone visiting Yunnan. Even if you have seen rice terraces before, these ones will make your jaw drop for sure!
For more details on how to get there and different stuff, don't forget to check our Yuanyang Travel Guide and the complete set of Yuanyang Pictures!
We ended up the day relaxing at the hostel and trying to get some help from stressed Richard on how to get to Dali, our next destination the following day.
The days in yuanyang, despite the chaos that Richard is, were really profitable and definitely one of the highlights of the trip so far. What the Hani people built there hundreds of years ago is really impressive and it is a totally reccomendable trip for anyone visiting Yunnan. Even if you have seen rice terraces before, these ones will make your jaw drop for sure!
For more details on how to get there and different stuff, don't forget to check our Yuanyang Travel Guide and the complete set of Yuanyang Pictures!
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