More images: Longsheng (Longji) Rice Terraces, China Stock Images | Country and Rural Landscape Stock Images | Landscape Stock Photography

The Longji Terraced Rice Fields or Dragon’s Backbone Rice Terraces received their name because the rice terraces resemble a dragon’s scales, while the summit of the mountain range looks like the backbone of the dragon. Visitors standing on the top of the mountain can see the dragon’s backbone twisting off into the distance. In a early morning when weather is fine (unfortunately not like on this photo ), the sunrise on the summit of Longji Rice Terraces is magnificent.

I did this trip to China with my very good friend and a highly professional landscape photographer Yevgen Timashov. If you haven’t seen his images then I can suggest you to subscribe to his photography blog and see why I absolutely love his style and vision. He has a really good eye in photography and his photos always inspire me. I hope to make another trip to China with him in winter this time.

More images: Longsheng (Longji) Rice Terraces, China Stock Images | Country and Rural Landscape Stock Images | Landscape Stock Photography

Together with Hani rice terraces in China and Banaue rice terraces in Philippines, the rice terraces in Longsheng country in China are often considered as the most beautiful terraces in the world. Sometimes they are called “The champion of the terrace world”. They’ve got the name Longji Rice Terraces which literally means “Dragon’s Backbone”. They received their name because the rice terraces resemble a dragon’s scales, while the summit of the mountain range looks like the backbone of the dragon. Visitors standing on the top of the mountain can see the dragon’s backbone twisting off into the distance. Well… I didn’t see that, but anyway the view was magnificent. I was in China between seasons which wasn’t too good for photography, but it was total success with the terraces. In spring the Longsheng terraced fields are irrigated and the irrigated fields look like layers of bright mirrors among green mountains. In summer a green sea of paddy rice lures you deeply. And the terrace filed greets you with the golden blankets of the ripe rice in fall. Snowed terrace field in winter is also awesome. So there is no one single best time to visit Longji rice fields in Longsheng. At any time you you will be rewarded with absolutely stunning landscape.

More images: Longsheng (Longji) Rice Terraces, China Stock Images | Country and Rural Landscape Stock Images | Landscape Stock Photography

More images: Longsheng (Longji) Rice Terraces Stock Images | Landscape Stock Photography.

The Longsheng Rice Terraces are located in Longsheng County, about 100 km (2 hours drive) from Guilin, Guangxi, China. The most popular are Ping An Rice Terrace and Jinkeng Rice Terrace.

The terraced fields are built along the slope winding from the riverside up to the mountain top, the highest part being 880 m in elevation while the lowest part is 380 m. The coiling line that starts from the mountain foot up to the mountain top divides the mountain into layers of water glittering in the sun in spring, layers of green rice shoots in summer, layers of golden rice in fall, and layers of silvery frost in winter. At its beginning of Yuan Dynasty, the terraced fields were mostly built during the Ming Dynasty, about 500 years ago.

Longji (Dragon’s Backbone) Terraced Rice Fields received their name because the rice terraces resemble a dragon’s scales, while the summit of the mountain range looks like the backbone of the dragon. Visitors standing on the top of the mountain can see the dragon’s backbone twisting off into the distance. In an early morning, when the weather is fine, the sunrise on the summit of Longji Rice Terraces is magnificent.

The Dragon’s Backbone Rice Terraces is a beautiful natural picture. The linked together rice terraces vary from season to season. In spring, the water is irrigated into the fields and the terraces look like great chains or ribbons hung on the hillsides. When the onset of summer, green waves rush continuously down the mountainside from the heaven. The theme of autumn is the harvest, with the mountainside decorated with the gold of ripened millet. Coming into winter, the whole mountain will be covered with white snow, just like dragons playing with water.

The best time for a visit to Longji Terraces is during spring and autumn. During May and June, Rice paddies are just groomed for the planting season and are just a pool of mud and water. It would probably take another 2 weeks before farmers started planting. During September and October the rice fields turn golden and the afternoon sun paints the terraces as fields of gold.

More images: Longsheng (Longji) Rice Terraces Images Gallery | Landscape Stock Photography.