Does Yuanyang Actually Exist? (By Nathan)

04 Mar 2013

Does Yuanyang Actually Exist? (By Nathan)

Rice terrace reflections

The first time I saw photos like this, I was convinced they were fake. No way could an entire mountain be transformed into stepped platforms and then subsequently flooded. It did not physically seem possible, in no way was it real. Well, having been to the Yanyang rice terraces I can say that they are real and more magnificent than any photo can justify. The magic of the terraces is that their shapes are very organic matching the flow and contours of the mountains, but the squareness of the stepped walls and the immense retention of water is a reminder that humans are actively contributing to this landscape.

Woman farmer walking the terrace edge

Cascading topography of Duoyishu

The vividness of the terraces was obscured by the fact that we arrived at night. For some frustrating reason the busses from Kunming are sleeper busses that travel during the day and arrive late at night. We loaded into a tiny minivan and bounced along the road for over forty-five minutes to arrive at the little town of Guanyinshan in the heart of the Duoyishu terraces. After pounding on the door for a few minutes, we finally got the hostel to open up and let us in. We woke to a cloud-filled valley that provided further mystique to the land formations. As the sun rose higher into the sky the mist dissipated revealing the splendor of Yuanyang rice terraces.

Duoyishu rice terraces

Close-up of Duoyishu rice terraces

I am still grasping it, but the entire mountain has been excavated into millions of tiny rice fields. The steepness of the hillsides has been transformed into topographic layers. Each step of 4-6 feet curves and flows with what was the original natural mountain. The uniqueness of Yuanyang, compared with other terraces, is that the terraces are constantly filled with water. The people have engineered thousands of canals to flow in and around all of the terraces to create these beautiful reflection pools. Every piece of land has been manipulated and optimized to produce rice.

Hiking with new friends through Duoyishu terraces

Colorful terraces

We went over to Jacky’s Guesthouse for breakfast and a view from their rooftop. This is one of the best views in Duoyishu and Jacky is an imperative resource for visiting the terraces. Most of the tourists have to pay a fee to visit these platforms throughout the region. We felt that this was overpriced and the money did not get to the locals. Jacky helped us determine some hiking routes around terraces and rustic villages to explore. We also had the good fortune of meeting some like-minded friends who were eager to roam around the mountainside.

Hani women building a new home

Men smoking a tobacco water pipe in Shang Village.

The women in these areas work extremely hard. We saw them carrying bundles of harvested vegetables, wood, rocks, and wet concrete everywhere we went. The women were constantly working these manual labor jobs. During our walk through one village the women were working together to pour a concrete floor on a new home. We saw few men working these jobs, maybe they were out earning money somewhere else. The men we did find were thoroughly enjoying some tobacco from a water pipe.

Traditional Chinese mountain village

We traversed down rocky paths into roadless villages. The water-filled terraces wrapped all around us and we continued our walk on whatever trail we could find. We scrambled up jungle cliffs, trudged in muddy creeks and balanced on the clay retaining walls. Our exploration gave little feeling of actually conquering or completing anything, but constantly reminded us how small we were in this enormous farmed mountain. Everything was terraces, and every terrace was irrigated with water. Tiny untouched villages scattered the hillsides, but everywhere was a terrace indistinguishable from one another.

Admiring the view of the Lao Huzui terraces

Water-filled dreamscape

Walking in the depths of the terraces is a humbling activity. It is also an easy way to get lost. We found ourselves two towns over and down the valley. We arrived back at Jacky’s, but the sun was quickly going down and sunset was fast approaching. We hired a minivan for the group of us to go and see another famous set of terraces- Lao Huzui

Sunset on the rice terraces Lao Huzui

Sunset reflection pools

Another forty-five minutes away on another valley are the Lao Huzui terraces. The viewing spots are high on the cliff 500m above the rice fields. The valley faces the west making it perfect to watch the sun disappear on the horizon. The pools reflect the orange and pink light forming what appears to be an enormous lake that is like a fabric wraps around the mountains. The six of us had a good time sharing experiences of travel and China but most of all we sat awestruck with the beautiful view.

Terrace hopping in the dawn light

Sunrise Duoyishu

The next morning we were able to get a nice sunrise at Duoyishu. I hopped around from terrace to terrace. I balanced on the clay walls and traversed the steep hillside. The sun slowly peeked over the mountains and the terrace pools reflected the blue sky.

Trash-filled creek

Despite the magnificent beauty of this landscape it was difficult to not be frustrated with how the environment is treated. I still do not understand how trash and crap can be thrown into the same water source that feeds the people of this area. The Chinese can build some of the grandest most beautiful things, but forget to recognize the public health flaws right in front of them.

Reflection pools and tree

I really liked this one tree that appeared to have survived all the human alterations to the land and found a way to cling onto the hillside.

Bada rice terraces

I wanted to do some more hiking, Carmen had some computer work to do. I joined in with our new friends Michael and Albert for a walk to explore more terraces. We came across the Bada scenic viewing area. It was part of the tourist ticket that neither of us had. After being turned down by the women at the entrance we continued our walk down the road. It was amusing to us to find a dirt trail that wrapped around the ticket booth, we crouched down and creeped in…woo hoo free entry.

Home-cooked meal in Quanfuzhuang village

The presence of these friends was immensely useful when looking for food. They both have been studying mandarin abroad and we asked a local man where we could eat something. In a matter of seconds this random man escorted us into his living room and sat us down at a miniature table while he got to work in the kitchen. He cooked us roasted duck, stewed fish, pork and rice cake then joined us at the table with a jug of moonshine rice liquor. We feasted, they had a small conversation and I drank when i was told to. It was a wonderful meal and our sincere host made us feel very welcome. It was difficult to leave, but we grabbed a quick photo when we said goodbye.

Whispy blue sky

Then we had to say goodbye to Yuanyang. We bought another bus ticket tried to find comfort on the cramped bed. The gorgeous beauty of the mountain terraces became another memory, another fantastic experience of our travels and one of those unbelievable photos that I can say “that is real, I was there.”