Yuanyang, China (云南元阳)
Yuanyang Itinerary 13-18 Feb 2025
13 Feb Arrived Kunming. Overnight at airport hotel
14 Feb Kunming to Yuanyang by coach. The travel time from Kunming to Yuanyang is about 5 hours. We stopped for lunch along the way. We arrived on time to shoot the sunset at Malizhai (麻粟寨茶厂)
15 Feb Sunrise at Duoyishu (早上多依树日出) followed by Luomadian (倮马点云海). Photo walk at morning market at Shengcun (胜村集市). Sunset at Bada (下午坝达日落)
16 Feb Second day at Duoyishu (多依树日出) for sunrise shoot but from a different position. Today we were greeted with spectacular sea of clouds accompanied by golden sunrise. Our best day in the whole trip. We then proceeded to Aicun Village to shoot a Hani family household (爱春民居家访拍摄). Today sunset shoot is at Dawazhe (下午大瓦遮日落)
17 Feb Today sunrise shoot at Huangcaoling but weather condition was quite foggy and we did not get very great shots of the terrace (黄草岭日出). We proceeded to Azheke Village to shoot this well preserved quiant ancient Hani village (阿者科古村落拍摄). The foggy weather makes for perfect dreamy village scenes. Next was Luoshtian (下午螺蛳田) followed by sunset shoot at Laohuzui (老虎嘴拍日落)
18 Feb Today (last day) scheduled sunrise shoot at Jinkou (箐口日出后返程) never materialised as it was shrouded with very heavy fog. After an hour of futile wait, we decided to leave for the 5-hour road trip back to Kunming.
Highlights of Yuanyang
Yuanyang County is mostly a terraced landscape, and is the core area of what is known as the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces, Honghe Prefecture. The Honghe Hani Rice Terraces (元阳哈尼梯田), include three major scenic areas, Bada Rice Terraces, Laohuzui Rice Terraces and Duoyishu Rice Terraces. A vast expanse of these rice terraces form a magical and magnificent landscape in the shadow of vast forests and sea of clouds.
Yuanyang is a county mainly inhabited by Hani, one of the ethic minority groups, with ecological culture marked by forest, farming culture marked by rice terraces, food culture characterized by Long Street Banquet, architectural culture marked by mushroom house, costume culture dominated by apparel embroidery, and festival culture marked by Kuzhazha festival.
Yuanyang is a heaven for photographers, attracted by the spectacular view of Yuanyang Hani rice terraces during sunrise, sunset, and sea of clouds. The sunrise of Duoyishu rice terraces is the most beautiful, while Bada rice terraces and Laohuzui rice terraces are the best places to watch the sunset. Bada scenic area is often shrouded in clouds providing a wonderful sea of clouds landscape.
The Honghe Hani Rice Terraces located in Yuanyang County (元阳县) cover 16,603 hectares in Southern Yunnan, China. This area was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013 because of its outstanding resilient construction, unique social-ecological system, and the importance to the Hani (哈尼) people. It is marked by spectacular terraces that cascade down the slopes of the towering Ailao Mountains to the banks of the Honghe (Hong River). Over the past 1,300 years, the Hani people have developed a complex system of channels to bring water from the forested mountaintops to the terraces. They have also created an integrated farming system that involves buffalos, cattle, ducks, fish and eel and supports the production of red rice, the area’s primary crop. The inhabitants worship the sun, moon, mountains, rivers, forests and other natural phenomena including fire. They live in 82 villages situated between the mountaintop forests and the terraces. The villages feature traditional thatched “mushroom” houses. The resilient land management system of the rice terraces demonstrates extraordinary harmony between people and their environment, both visually and ecologically, based on exceptional and long-standing social and religious structures.
Aichun Village (爱春村)
Aichun Village is located in the eastern part of Xinjie Town (新街镇), Yuanyang County (元阳县), closeby to Azheke Village ancient village. We had photoshoot session in a traditional family house of Hani people.
Azheke Village (阿者科古村落)
The day we visited Azheke Village (Day 4) it was strouded with morning mist giving this ancient village a very surreal and quiant ambience that was perfect for photoshoot. Azheke Village lies deep within the Yuanyang terraced landscape. The village is part of the Hani ethnic stockade villages and is home to more than 60 households.
One of the most striking aspects of Azheke Village is its unique mushroom-shaped thatched houses. These traditional dwellings are built with local materials such as bamboo, wood, and thatch, and their design is adapted to the natural environment. The rounded mushroom shape is both practical and symbolic, reflecting the villagers’ deep respect for nature and the balance between architecture and the surrounding landscape.
These houses are strategically placed on the mountainside, creating a picturesque and harmonious environment where the village, terraces, river, and forests coexist. The villagers rely on mountain spring water for both their daily lives and agricultural activities, further reinforcing the eco-friendly and sustainable nature of the community.
Azheke is an extraordinary example of an eco-village that has remained largely unchanged for centuries. The village’s architectural and agricultural practices are deeply embedded in the natural surroundings, and the community continues to use traditional methods that reflect a profound connection with the land. The village’s location, surrounded by terraced fields, forests, and mountains, is a testament to the villagers’ resourcefulness and respect for their environment.
In 2013, when the Hani terraces were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, Azheke was one of the five villages included in the declaration, with a population of around 400 people. This recognition highlights the village’s cultural importance and its role in preserving the heritage of the Hani people.
