Best time to visit Yuanyang
The awe-inspiring, World Heritage-listed, Hani rice terraces cascade down the slopes of the Ailao Mountains to the south of the Red River Valley in Yuanyang District, Honghe County of China’s Yunnan Province. The narrow terraces have been constructed over the course of some thousand years by the local Hani minority who inhabit these rugged ranges. It’s stunning any time of the year but certain months offer better views so, when’s the best time to visit Yuanyang?
Before we offer a monthly rundown it’s important to point out that climate does vary from year to year and indeed, of late, has become increasingly less predictable so our descriptions are average conditions for each time of year and our information is certainly not written in stone.
The best time to visit Yuanyang is particularly complicated due to there being 2 principal, sometimes conflicting, determinants; the overall weather conditions and the stage the rice terraces are at during any given month. These comprise; the ploughing and preparation period, flooding of the terraces prior to planting, planting, growing, ripening and harvesting. An additional, significant consideration for our Yunnan small group tours is that, spectacular as Yuanyang is, there are plenty more destinations with differing weather conditions on 0ur tours so it’s not simply the best time to visit Yuanyang but the best time which is also good for visiting say Hanoi or Shangri La as well. (The Tibetan Plateau town of Zhongdian was, for reasons best known to themselves, officially renamed Shangri La in 2001 by the Chinese government.)
Typical Hani village with the unusual mushroom-style roofs. Villages are often located on the tree-line between forest and terraces January
Typical weather for January is cool and dry and the skies are usually clear. In a ‘normal’ year the terraces will be flooded so plenty of great reflections for your sunset and sunrise views and photos. On the downside it is high season so the region is at its busiest and while most sites we’ve checked describe January temperatures as cool, we’d say on occasions it’s downright cold. (Especially, of course nights and early mornings.) The best-known viewpoints will be crowded and the best lodges full.
February
Another winter month so a similar description as above; busy but weather cool and clear and attractive water filled rice terraces. However, neither January nor February are ideal for our tours as Vietnam’s Sapa – visited just before Yuanyang – and Shangri La up on the Tibetan Plateau can get seriously cold.
Late March, some rice shoots but mainly water March
In our opinion a better option than the previous months as temperatures are warming up somewhat while visitor numbers are cooling down. Generally, it’s still clear and dry and the majority of rice terraces are yet to be planted. (Note, also our preferred accommodation is in small, boutique-style lodges so we’ve got a much better chance of getting availability than in the most popular November to February period.
April
Slightly warmer again and generally still dry although perhaps slightly more chance of an unseasonable shower than the previous months. While many terraces are still water filled, planting will be underway in certain areas, particularly later in the month. An added advantage for March and April is blossom on the fruit trees – cherry, peach etc – that dot the slopes. Combined with fewer visitors makes April a good compromise month. (Earlier rather than later part of the month would be better.)
April sunrise. May
Views are still attractive but terraces will feature a mix of water, seedlings and early growing rice so you won’t get so many mirror-like reflections of earlier months. Night time temperatures are pleasant but in the middle of the day it will have warmed up considerably while the occasional shower would be par for the course. This is now low season so pleasantly quiet but arriving a month earlier would be better.
June
Similar temperature-wise as May but this is the start of the rainy season so showers will be increasingly likely. Paddy fields will be emerald green and although one of the quietest months it’s not the best for views.
Early June – still not too shabby July/August
Not too much variation between the two months; rainy season, with higher temperatures so Yuanyang can get very humid and the terraces will be carpeted in green. As we said the views are spectacular at pretty much any time of year but July and August are not the best times to visit Yuanyang. Furthermore it’s the rainy season in other destinations such as Jianshui and Kunming so…
September
Tail end of the rainy season so showers – particularly during evening and night times – wouldn’t be a surprise but temperatures are generally lower than April to August while the high season crowds are yet to return. By September, most of the rice has ripened so terraces will turn a golden yellow colour and, if you’re lucky, at sunset or sunrise times, views are truly spectacular. Definitely, one of the best times to visit Yuanyang.
October
In contrast, October is probably one of the least scenic as this is harvest time meaning rice terraces will be filled with stubble and mud. On more positive notes showers will be fewer, temperatures lower and you’ll have your pick of hotel rooms while the local Hani villagers harvesting in the fields ought to provide some great scenes.
Hani vendors in Sheng Village weekly market November
The beginning of, but not yet full on, high season while showers should have ceased and temperatures will have further decreased without yet reaching the chill of December to February. Farmers will be chanelling water into the terraces after harvest time so some may not yet be filled. November is a fine time to visit although as harvests may be slightly earlier or later, depending upon weather conditions from year to year, terrace conditions can vary.
December
Similar to January so generally dry with clear skies and plenty of water in the terraces. However, it is one of the busiest months and while fine, can get decidedly nippy – especially if you’re waiting for the sun to rise from some draughty hilltop. In evening times guests may be competing for seats around the fire in their lodges. It may be high season in Yuanyang but again it’s not ideal for visiting other Yunnan destinations – especially northwestern ones such as Shangri La or Tiger Leaping Gorge – while, as we mentioned, we’ve found Sapa can get uncomfortably cold at that time of year. (In December and January we’ve also encountered certain roads around Sapa closed by the police due to icy conditions.)
Sunrise view on April 1st Overall then, while we repeat that the landscapes do look spectacular at any time and you can always visit the unique Hani-style villages and check-out their traditional dress on market days, we’re plumping for the March to April period with September being a good, more outside of the box, month.
