Jinkeng Yao Villages

Jinkeng terrace fields (金坑梯田), around 25 miles (40km) away from Longsheng, is a Yao minority inhabited area with several Yao villages. The area comprises Dazhai village (大寨), as well as 5 smaller hamlets, including TianTou village higher up the mountain.

Jinkeng Yao Villages

For Jinkeng rice terraces, the 66-square-km network irrigation project was began by the ethnic Zhuang in the Yuan dynasty (1271-1368), and finished by the Qing dynasty (1644-1911). Travelers would be rewarded feats of farm engineering going all the way up a string of 2400 feet (800 m) mountains. The first village lying at the foot of the mountain is Dazhai Village. Further uphill, there are two-story cabins of Yao people nestling against the magnificent man-made wonder. The layout of the village mimics the symmetry of rice terraces, appearing like the houses are stacked on top of one another. Wander around the village, travelers may feel the local lifestyle and unique culture of this Yao minority. Climbing up the hill, travelers would arrive at Tiantouzhai Village, which present a panoramic view of the whole area of Jinkeng Rice Terraces.

Jinkeng Yao Villages

For beautiful contour-map-like Jinkeng terraces, there are 3 main scenic spots of – No. 1 Scenic Spot (West Hill Shaoyue), No. 2 Scenic spot (Thousand-layer Ladder to the Sky), and No. 3 Scenic spot (Golden Buddha Summit).

The best time to visit the villages in Jinkeng terraced rice area is in May and June, when the amazing green rice terraces are filled with water; in September and October, it offers a different color of the striking rice terraces.