Yunhe Rice Terraces

The terraces around Yunhe were begun in the Tang and worked continuously since, climbing from about two hundred metres to fourteen hundred on slopes that fold and curve so the terrace lines run in long arcs rather than straight steps. What draws photographers is water and mist: the terraces are flooded before planting in spring, when they reflect sky, and cloud regularly fills the valleys below the viewpoints at dawn so that the terraces appear to float. The area is a national scenic area with marked viewpoints, shuttle buses and villages within it. Autumn brings the gold of ripening rice before harvest.

What you actually see

• The flooded terraces - water reflecting sky before spring planting.
• The cloud sea - mist filling the valleys below the viewpoints at dawn.
• The gold harvest - ripening rice in late September and October.
• The terrace curves - lines following the contours in long arcs.

When to go

April to June for flooded terraces and mist, September to October for the gold. The mist needs particular conditions and does not appear every morning. Winter is cold and the terraces bare.

Honest expectations

The famous conditions, water plus mist plus light, coincide on relatively few mornings, and photographers often wait days. Shuttle buses are compulsory within the scenic area. Accommodation in the villages is basic.

Nearby

Lishui lies northeast; Longquan is southwest.