The Dragon’s Backbone is composed of stacked ribbons of rice paddies that look like the ridges of the mythical creature.
Also called the Longsheng or Longji Rice Terraces, the captivating layers change colors with the seasons.
The terraced fields are built along the slope winding from the riverside up to the mountain top, between 600 to 800 metres above sea level.
A coiling terrace line that starts from the mountain foot up to the mountain top divides the mountain into layers of water in spring, layers of green rice shoots in summer, layers of rice in fall, and layers of frost in winter. The terraced fields were mostly built about 650 years ago.
Longji (Dragon’s Backbone) Terraced Rice Fields received their name because the rice terraces resemble a dragon’s scales, while the summit of the mountain range looks like the backbone of the dragon.
In early June, water is pumped over the rice paddies and young plants are transferred to the main terraces.
