A SURREAL HIKE AMONGST CHINA'S RICE FIELDS

Our Shanghai-based writer, Cécilia Vermeulen, decided to head to the Guangxi region in China and to hop on the "Dragon's Backbone Rice Terrace" (Longji Titian). During her trip, she takes us to the karstic mounts (the same ones you can find in Brazil or Thailand) and introduces us to the women of the Zhuang and Miao minorities who are known for their endlessly long hair!By Cécilia Vermeulen.When we arrive in Guilin, we realize that we are in a very touristy part of the country. Although this might deter more than one explorer, we are delighted as it means English speaking people and easily accessible sites! We drop our bags at the hotel, the Club Med in Guilin. The all-inclusive accommodation is nestled in an ancient contemporary art center. Very quickly our feet start itching. We hop on a taxi to visit the village of Yàngshuo, enclaved between limestone hills. There is a lot to do, such as going down the Li river on a bamboo raft or biking around town. Bikes can be rented by the day and come with a child seat, a helmet, and knee and elbow pads. If your kids are good little hikers, take them to the Yàngshuo park.  You will be able to observe the "dancing grammies", the "Majong" players, solitary singers, colorful kites and pretty lotus flowers literally covering every water pond.[supsystic-gallery id='79']The next day, we visit the famous Dragon's Backbone Rice Terrace. Only a few kilometers away from our hotel, it takes us more than 3 hours to get there because of an extremely windy road. When we reach the village of Ping’An, our attention is immediately drawn to the women of this minority who never cut their hair! They tie it all up on their foreheads which highlights their smiley faces. The colors here are splendid and the anis smell mesmerizing. The hike up can be a little tiring, so you might want to hire a porter at the bottom of the village. He will transport you on a bamboo chair for a reasonable price if you negotiate prior to departure.The wooden village takes us back to an old-school China. Paper lamps are hanging outside the houses, chickens are running around and underwear is drying out in the sun. Our advice is to follow the road leading to the Seven Stars and the moon rice field. On the way, you will encounter a delicious lunch place with no name. Their steamed rice in bamboo leaf is to die for. When we get to our destination, we are greeted by rice fields as far as the eye can see. In October, just before the harvest, yellow tones are intense and the sun still shines brilliantly. If you visit during the rainy season, the show will be just as beautiful as the fields will literally be shining. It is time for us to leave this gorgeous piece of the country behind, but we know that will be back to play hide and seek in the Black Buddha's cave or to cool down under the Detian waterfalls.[supsystic-gallery id='78']Follow Cécilia Vermeulen on her Facebook page: The Rooster on the Dragon’s Back.