Carved into the mountainsides that tower above the Heping River, the Longsheng rice terraces swoop and whirl their way along the hills forming intricate patterns as they go. They are also known by the alternative and perhaps more appropriate moniker ‘Longji’, meaning ‘dragon’s spine’ because of the way the terraces curve and shimmer, resembling the backbone and scales of a dragon. The terraces were constructed about 650 years ago, an ingenious agricultural solution that has been in use ever since.

The terraces are incredible sight no matter the season – in the spring they are full of water, reflecting the moods of the sky, in the summer a lush green with rice shoots, in autumn golden thanks to the ripe crops and in winter covered in snow and ice. The surrounding area is home to a number of ethnic minority groups, mainly the Zhuang and Yao people. If you decide to hike through this incredible landscape you may come across them in their unique and colourful costume. A walk through the Zhuang village of Ping An is a particularly fantastic walk – close by is a ridge from which you can enjoy a panorama of the whole valley.