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The Oujia Rice Terraces are located in Taibao Town, Lianshan Zhuang and Yao Autonomous County, at the foot of Dawu Mountain, the highest peak in Lianshan, known as the "Roof of Lingnan, Guangdong." Dawu Mountain, a majestic and beautiful peak in the Nanling Mountains, earned its name from the constant shroud of clouds and mist. The Oujia Rice Terraces are the largest native rice terraces in Guangdong Province, stretching nearly a kilometer and arranged in an M-shaped pattern on both sides of the village.
Oujia Terracescheck the details
The Oujia Rice Terraces are located in Taibao Town, Lianshan County, Qingyuan City, Guangdong Province, at the foot of Dawu Mountain, the highest peak in the Lianshan Mountains, known as the "Roof of Lingnan Region of Guangdong." The Oujia Rice Terraces are spread out in an M-shaped pattern around Oujia Village. The vast and imposing Oujia Rice Terraces stretch for nearly 3 kilometers. The terraces cascade along the mountainside, forming a beautiful belt. The terrain divides them into two major areas: the east and west sections. The east section, directly in front of and to the right of Oujia Village, is ideal for photographing the sunrise and morning mist; the west section, to the left and directly behind the village, is ideal for capturing sunsets.
Recommended month: All seasons
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March 3rd is the day when the Zhuang and Yao people in Lianshan go to the fields to start farming. In order to pray for a good harvest in the year, the Zhuang and Yao people will hold a grand celebration to pray for good weather and a good harvest.
Because of the high altitude and large temperature difference between day and night, the terraced fields can only grow one crop of rice a year. The Oujia Terraces are backed by the Dawu Mountains. There is no reservoir on the mountain, so the entire Dawu Mountain has become a huge water reservoir. The rain will only increase around the third day of the third lunar month every year, and holding sacrificial activities also marks the official start of a year's farming.
At the entrance, you will drink a glass of wine, and the activities will start with the sound of gongs and drums, the auspicious lion offering blessings, the plow and rake being sacrificed, and the fire lion being blown up. The lion will walk from the entrance of Oujia Village all the way to the terraced fields, dancing as it walks.
Fire lion blasting, also known as burning fire lions or dancing fire lions, is a popular folk entertainment in Lianshan. According to Zhuang tradition, blasting fire lions is intended to ward off the unicorn monster "Nian." During the performance, the audience is free to throw firecrackers at the lion dancers. The thicker the firecracker paper, the more prosperous life will be.
Experience on-site interaction, catch fish with your bare hands in the paddy fields, and feel the joy of fish-rice symbiosis.
Beside the fish pond, auspicious oxen are plowing the fields, and there are demonstrations of paddy field oxen plowing, harrowing, and transplanting rice. From April 17th to May 31st, the terraced fields provide long-term farming projects such as plowing, harrowing, and transplanting rice for tourists to experience and take photos for free. You can also change your clothes to experience the fun of farming.
The final highlight of the event is the lion dance parade around the terraced fields, with long drumming and dancing formations and lions climbing up the terraced fields.
Lianshan big soup rice cakes are provided free of charge throughout the event and are made on site. You can eat as much as your appetite allows.
Oujia Village is now managed as a scenic spot with a standardized parking lot. Villagers have run many homestays and restaurants, as well as numerous local specialty stalls.
The village is clean and tidy, with several houses under construction. Behind the village are terraced fields, and the walking path up the mountain is easy to follow, with a wooden plank road leading up.
The best time to photograph the terraced fields is from April to September each year. Water begins to be released from the terraced fields during April and May. September is the golden season for rice, and dusk and early morning are great times for creation.
It is more convenient to stay in a farmhouse in the village, with prices ranging from around ￥100 to ￥150. If you value the comfort of accommodation, you can stay in Lianshan County, which is about half an hour's drive away.
Along the village roads, villagers set up many small stalls, selling local specialties.
Terraces are fields with strip-shaped steps or wavy cross-sections built along the contour lines on hilly slopes.
The terraces have good ventilation and light conditions, which are conducive to crop growth and the accumulation of nutrients. Depending on the slope of the field, there are horizontal terraces, sloping terraces, compound terraces, etc.
Due to the special nature of terraced fields, they are all on the mountain, some are large and some are small, and they are adapted to local conditions, so harvesting is also carried out in various forms, and small and long hand-pushed harvesters are more commonly used.
During the spring plowing season, at the foot of the misty Dawu Mountain, the scattered terraces filled with water look like mirrors. The winding terraces are stacked in thousands of layers, and the beauty is as beautiful as a poem or a painting!
The facilities are now quite complete, with clear signboards and an observation deck. If you want to see more beautiful scenery, you can walk up the mountain. There is a wooden plank road on the mountain, so you won’t feel tired walking there. The scenery is really beautiful!
There are now many farm-style restaurants in the Oujia Terraces, where you can order some Lianshan specialties: boiled clear water duck, stir-fried Oujia duck, boiled free-range chicken, stir-fried chicken with ginger and scallions, grass carp, free-range eggs, large mustard greens in soup, Lianshan large soup rice cake, etc.
Although the presentation is not very beautiful, it is authentic and the ingredients are all natural. They are all vegetables grown and chickens, ducks, fish, etc. raised by local villagers. The taste is definitely different.
Oujia Terraced Fields Scenic Area
Address: Taibao Town, Lianshan Zhuang and Yao Autonomous County, Qingyuan, Guangdong
Self-driving: From Foshan city center, take the Guangsan Expressway → Erguang Expressway (Lianshan Exit). The entire journey is 285 kilometers and takes about 3 hours and 33 minutes. The road is wide and very smooth.
Backpackers: Take a bus from any bus station to Liannan Bus Station and transfer to Lianshan Bus Station. Get off at Taibao Town. There are no regular buses from Taibao Town to Oujia Village, so you can only charter a car or take a motorcycle to get there.
Tickets: Adult tickets booked online are 60 yuan/person, and parking fees for small cars are 20 yuan/time.
