to post #11
＞Is there something called the Swirls?
---That's right but it's not in July & August but at the time when all rice paddies have water and sharp outlines of ridges are showing geometrical wnderful patterns "Swirling" very clearly and it's from January to early April, not in July & August.
Thousands of rice paddies(big terraced fields in Yuanyang have 5,000～6,000 rice paddies each) make amazingly geometrical wonderful patterns and those geometric wonderful patterns are made by irrigated "water" which reflect brilliant sky and "sharp outlines" made by neumalous ridges of rice paddies " as if they are created by God-hands or Miracles from Heaven.
So "all rice fields equally have grown rice and shade off or blur sharp outlines of rice fields in monotone(green color only)" give us different impression from specutaclar Yuanyang terraced fields at the best time for viewing though rice fields are still very beautiful.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
＞Will it be spectacular at this time of year(from 16th July to 2nd August)?
---strictly speaking, not so spectacular in July and August comparing with Yuanyang terraced fields at the best season as above (of course, for visitors)
---"from 16th July to 2nd August" is "maybe" too long("maybe" means that everyone has his own way of traveling and his own favorites and his own way of spending his time, so to be honest, i'll hesitate to say "it's too long!" or "too short!".
---but, generally speaking, it's too long because July & August are not the best season for visitors who expect "specutaclar" Yuanyang terraced fields.
So my suggestion is ---if you travel to Yunnan province in July & August anyhow, i suggest that you spend your time for Yuanyang 3～4 days, and a week in max , and spend other days for visiting other places in Yunnan province, and visit Yuanyang in another time one more when all rice paddies have "water"(Jan～Apr) . It's better and the best if you expect "specutaclar" Yuanyang.
But not that i stop you go to Yuanyang in that time and stay long because there are many ways of spending your time in Yuanyang not only for seeing terraced fields but also doing many other things.
(i.e.)
*walk around the Xinjie town or the village where you stay(maybe you can make yourself relax in this town which is riding on the back of the mountain and having a full view of surroundings).
*visit other villages and markets a bit far from your guesthouse(at Xinjie or a some village) ---checking on which days local markets will be held in accordance with Luner calender is required by asking it to local people or your guesthouse owner before going
---- it's avalable by local bus coming from other cities in Yunnan along Red river(=Mekong river).
(i.e.) local bus coming from Gejiu city(个旧), Kaiyuan city(开远), Mengzi city(蒙自), Jianshui city(建水）and going to Luchung(緑水）, Ganiang(嘎娘) etc via Xinjie (=Xinjie bus station) so if you use these local bus or shared minibus(or minivan) from Xinjie bus station, you can visit remote villages and towns.
---if you go to those places by local bus coming from above cities , you may need to stay one overnight at those remote places because you may not be able to get any return bus on the same day.
---but if you use shared minibus or minivan which departs from Xinjie bus station in the morning, it's possible to return to Xinjie on the same day(=go & back within a day).
https://www.flickr.com/photos/93515541@N04/34847724640/in/dateposted-public/
---my handmade map of Yuanyang(showing distances from Xinjie)
↓
①Visiting Xinjie town or near Xinjie
*"Xinjie town" and market
*"Shengcun"(胜村)town and market---a local township between Bada and Duoyishu
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
②Visiting villages and markets a bit far from Xinjie
*"Ganiang"(嘎娘) village---(53km south-east of Xinjie-- you can see panoramic alpine scenes like villages in Switzerland on the way to Ganiang as if you are traveling Swiss or French Alps seeing beautiful villages on the slope of moutains though it's in China!)
*"Shalatuo"(沙拉扽）village & market---(38km south-west of Xinjie)
*"Niujiaozhai"(牛角寨）village & market---(28km west of Xinjie)
*"Laomeng"(老勐) market---(54km south of Xinjie)
etc
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
③walking or hiking seeing terraced fields
*hiking---Xinjie→Jinzhuzhai(金竹寨)→Longshuba(龙树坝)→Xinjie(3.5～4 h)
*walking---Duoyishu to Laohuzui via Puduo & Dongbu & Duosha village(14.1km)
*walking among rice fields(with guide=guesthouse owner if it's possible & rainy day is rather better)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PS) In my country=Japan, there also remains many terraced rice fields.
http://www5f.biglobe.ne.jp/syake-assi/newpage764.html
(Best 100 terraced rice fields in Japan)
Terraced fields in my country are not so big comparing with the ones in China and Vietnam because many big terraced fields in my country had alreay disappeared so the biggest terraced fields(=one site) in my country now has around 50～1,340(max) rice paddies but some terraced fields are facing the sea so look like such as juming or diving into the sea--#52 .
To the contrary, a famous big terraced fields in Yuanyang(=one site only) has 5,000～6,000 rice paddies and those neumerous rice paddies are making geometric wonderful patterns Swirlings and look like such as rising to Heaven or rising dragons, or falling to the bottom of valley breaking through the clouds--- it's really beautiful and "spectacular"!
So if your image of Yuanyang terraced fields is "spectacular", you need to visit Yuanyang at the best time to see it(Jan ～early Apr)!
(6/16 jp_geckozy)
