Rice Terraces

On every trip to China, I try to bring travelers to the south of China where they can witness the insane beauty of the rice terraces.  The terraces are stunning, but also serve a purpose.  Farmers are able to plant, even on the sides of hills if they create steps and plateaus up the hills.  In addition, the portioned plots serve the purpose of decreasing erosion and runoff. The picture above is of Yuanyang Terrace in Yunnan Province.  Those fields are a photographer's paradise. 

Another popular destination to see the fields is Longsheng, near Guilin in Guangxi Province.  One of my travelers' favorite overnights is in the rustic guesthouses on the mountain in the little village of Ping'an, part of the Longsheng Terrace.