The Stunning Rice Fields of China

As you touch down at the Guilin Liangjiang International Airport, get ready for a photography-filled week in China. After you’ve collected your bags, you will be met by your local guide and photography instructor who will be showing you around for the week. 

From that point, you will head to your hotel in the city where you will reside for the next couple of nights. Dust off your equipment and get ready to study photography as you travel among the country’s scenic rice fields.

Situated approximately 100 km outside the city of Guilin, Longsheng Rice Terrace (aka Longji Rice Terraces) is a scenic location to jump-start your photography tour. Amidst the vast agricultural landscapes, today you will be shooting some wide angle shots of the area. After a decent walk in, you will be blessed with incredible scenery. 

Alongside your instructor, you will experiment with several different angles while using your tripod to capture this unique location from an alternative perspective. While you’re here, you will also get the chance to connect with the local farmers and get a better understanding of how these lands have changed over the years.

Today you will rise in the early morning and embark on a 6-hour road trip to the beautiful Jiabang Rice Terraces in the province of Guizhou, China. During the ride over you will be able to catch some shut-eye if you wish. Once you arrive, you will be taking the day to explore the surrounding area and get a better grasp of long exposure photography. 

Upon arriving at your accommodation in the evening, upload the images you’ve taken over the past two days onto your computer. Tonight you will be having a Photoshop editing crash course with your instructor in order to help maximize the images you’ve created over the past few days. 

About a 2.5- hour drive from Jiaband will get you to the picturesque Gaoyao Terrace Fields, which is quite a popular spot for photographers, so don’t be surprised if you find many others. Here you will be shown how to take panoramic shots and will be given a lesson on image stitching. 

In the evening, you will meet with a local environmental biologist who will be giving you a breakdown of the country’s current environmental status along with some of the initiatives in place to help counteract the effects of climate change and minimize pollution levels. In order to reach our next destination, you will take a night bus to one of the most spectacular destinations of the week in Yunnan.

After a long night of traveling, you will most likely be a bit tired. On that note, you will take it easy in the morning and have some time to rest at your accommodation before heading out to one of the country’s most spectacular rice field destinations. The Yuanyang Rice Terraces covers over 100 km² and boasts some stunning large-scale agricultural scenery. 

While at this location, you will be focusing on landscape photography with your instructor. In addition, you will also be practicing some portrait photography and practice by shooting some of the farmers in the rice field. Catch the sunset here and capture some stunning images of this site during the golden hour.

On your final full day of the photography tour, you will be checking out the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces. Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013, this location is over 1,200 years old and was originally created to funnel water down from the mountains above. Today you will be asked to complete a photography challenge as instructed by your guide. 

After a half-day exploring the area, you will be spending the afternoon taking part in a second session of Photoshop editing with your instructor. In addition, you will be asked to compile some of your favorite shots from the week which you will present to the rest of the group via a short slideshow.

After a full week of steady photography, the time has come to continue on. Departing from the Kunming Wujiaba International Airport, you will catch a flight either back home or to your next destination. As you embark on your future journeys, allow all of the lessons you’ve learned during your week in China to carry on with you.