红河哈尼族彝族自治州

Why this place

Honghe is the Hani and Yi prefecture in southern Yunnan, and its Yuanyang terraces are one of the most spectacular agricultural landscapes on earth: thousands of years of Hani terracing, filling with water in winter and turning into mirrors that reflect the sky at sunrise.

What to see

• Yuanyang's terraces — Duoyishu for sunrise, Laohuzui (Tiger's Mouth) for sunset
• The Hani villages and their mushroom-shaped houses on the ridges
• The old 'horse caravan' towns of Jianshui and Mengzi
• The Mengzi crossover bridge and the Yunnan–Vietnam railway heritage

What to eat

• Hani cooking: rice cooked in bamboo, fermented fish and the local 'zhucao' dishes
• Honghe is known for its 'shiping' tofu and its pomegranates

How to plan

Two or three days in Yuanyang, based at Xinjie or Duoyishu, with a car for the viewpoints.

Best time

November–March, when the terraces are flooded and reflective; September for the golden harvest

Practical tips

• Sunrise at Duoyishu is the main event — arrive by 6am and expect cold at 2,000m