Yuanyang Rice Terraces - For the colors of sunrise and sunset

People come to the Yuanyang Rice Terraces mostly to see the palette-like terraces. From November to April of the following year is the irrigation season, where the mirror-like terraces and duckweed reflect the colors of the sky. ⭐There are 2 recommended routes for sightseeing: 1⃣️ Free route, according to the hostel owners and those who have been there, it's just as good as the paid spots ☘️Sunrise - Hostels near the Duoyishu scenic area, choose one with a good view and a viewing platform. Even if you can't see the sunrise, you can still see the sea of clouds. ☘️Aichun Blue Terraces: Best around 9-10 am, the light shouldn't be too strong, otherwise, the blue terrace effect won't be there. It's right by the road, no viewing platform, you can give 5 yuan to the villagers by the fields to go up to their rooftop to take photos. ☘️ Azheke ancient village (charges a fee): After taking photos of the blue terraces, you can go here. Even if the weather is foggy, go down to the valley's viewing platform at the bottom, the weather might clear up as you walk down. ☘️Eagle's Beak: Best around 2-3 pm for taking photos of the colorful terraces, this is personally my favorite viewpoint. ☘️Sunset - Dawazhe: It's recommended to go early, especially if you're bringing a tripod. 2⃣️Paid route: A 70 yuan ticket includes 3 spots: Bada, Duoyishu, and Tiger's Mouth. ☘️ Duoyishu viewing platform for sunrise ☘️Bada for sunset and sea of clouds ☘️Tiger's Mouth for sunset, the local Hani people say this used to be the most beautiful place to watch the sunset, but due to mudslides damaging the rice fields, the scenery is not as it once was. 🍀Besides these, there are several other viewing platforms that you can visit on the way there or back. ☘️Qingkou: For a fairyland in the clouds ☘️Quanfuzhuang viewing platform ☘️Malizhai Tea Factory viewing platform 🚗 Transportation: How to get to Yuanyang is already written in another travel planning note. In summary, whether you're coming from Mengzi, Mile, or Jianshui, it's best to hire a private car or carpool, unless you're willing to transfer buses more than three times. ㊙️It's important to confirm with the driver whether they will take you directly to the designated place and whether there will be a change of cars along the way. Most drivers there only drive a section, from Mile to Gejiu, Gejiu to Yuanyang Nansha, Nansha to Yuanyang Xinjie, Xinjie to Yuanyang Rice Terraces, so make sure to clarify and confirm that there will be no car change and that you will be taken all the way. It's not recommended to hire a car from outside the area to tour the Yuanyang Rice Terraces. Drivers from outside are not familiar with the mountain roads and the locations of each scenic spot. It's better to hire a car locally for a day or half a day. ⭐Before entering Yuanyang, it's best to bring some food with you, as there are few restaurants and shops on the mountain, and even fewer choices. The red rice produced in the Yuanyang Rice Terraces is a must-try, and the red rice noodles are a specialty. 🏙️Accommodation - There are three relatively good hotels in the Yuanyang Rice Terraces scenic area 🏨 Wanshan: Good environment, average scenery 🏨 Yuanshe Azheke: Inside Azheke, looks good, the only issue is it's far from the sunrise and sunset spots 🏨 Good hotels near Duoyishu: Mid-mountain resort, Above the Clouds, with excellent views. ▶️The red rice here is single-crop rice. The local Yi drivers say that this rice is hard to make a living from; it's time-consuming, labor-intensive, and not profitable, but they continue to cultivate it only to not waste the rice fields left by their ancestors. Hearing this, one feels a sense of reverence, this is the love of generations for this red land