After a 2 hour drive from Gujillin and a very twisty, turning road, we arrived at the foot of the Long-ji Terraces. These terraces were started in the Yuan Dynasty and for hundreds of years, the Zhuang and Yao people have been cultivating rice terraces in every corner of the valley in many shapes and sizes. In spring the water in the terraces mirror the sky; in summer the seedlings roll like green waves; in autumn the terraces are yellow; and in winter, the terraces resemble a large warm blanket.
My travel agent arranged for a sedan chair which 2 strong young men hoisted on their shoulders using halters and carried my canopied chaise up MANY stairs. Since I am not a light weight person, they had to take several breaks to catch their breath before we reached the Li-An Lodge in Ping’an Zhuang village near the summit. 2 women porters with baskets on their backs carried our luggage round trip.
When we descended the following day to meet our driver, I was able to relax in the chaise and look out over the terraces on our right and note the many shops on our left
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