Pingan village - The Longji Rice terraces
Ping'an Village is located in Longsheng County, Guilin. First built during the end of the Ming Dynasty and the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, Ping'an has long been the key stockaded village for sightseeing in the Longji scenic area.
The environment of the Ping'an village
The buildings in the little village are all two story wooden buildings which are traditional Zhuang architecture and somewhat look like Swiss mountain chalets. Everything smells of wood. The adorable village is stacked up in layers up the hillside and in the canyons. The whole village is not too big - maybe a few hundred people. Stone paths and staircases twist in and out of buildings. Water flows everywhere in streams, rivulets, waterfalls, and channeled in bamboo pipes. The weather here is delightful and pleasant. At night it is actually chilly enough to put on long sleeves.
The simple life style in the Ping'an village
Zhuang people still live an ancient and simple life. Just being here you will get a real sense for the pace of village life. You can just hang around the village, watching the villagers in their daily tasks - washing vegetables, tending animals, carving wood, building houses, or blowtorching shanks of meat. Kids play up and down the paths, or in the basketball court. Ducks, chickens, dogs, cats, and even horses wander around and are friendly as well.
It seems like every other village building has converted itself into a guest house and cafe. That makes it sound really touristy. But it's not at all. There are a couple souvenir shops and the cafes serve Western-friendly food. But despite all this, the place just doesn't feel overwhelmingly touristy. There is such a friendly vibe. No one tries to force anything upon the tourists. They are just friendly, and always return a "Hello" or a smile.
The one bar in the village pumps techno music. Not for the tourists, but for the village youth. You can hear it nearly everywhere in the village. It's pretty funny. They also play Beatles covers in Chinese.
Admire the world famous Dragon Back Rice Terrace
The achievement of the Dragon Back Rice Terrace
When strolling around the charming Ping'an Village, you have chances to appreciate the best splendid terrace - Dragon Back Rice Terrace, which has been regarded as "The champion of the terrace world." With construction beginning in the Yuan Dynasty (1271 - 1368) and lasting over 400 years, the Dragon Back Rice Terrace now cover over 16,000 acres. It is the culmination of both the profound wisdom and strenuous labor of the Zhuang people.
The Ping'an villagehas become a highlight among tourists wishing to experience the culture and folk customs of the Zhuang ethnic group.
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