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Voykit pocket guide · China
Longsheng
Spend a half‑day for the terraces or stay 1–2 nights for sunrise hikes; reach by 2 h bus from Guilin, then 1 h local bus to villages.
Longsheng is a small town that serves as the gateway to the Longji rice terraces. A day trip from Guilin covers the main viewpoints, but an overnight stay lets you catch sunrise and explore the remote villages at a relaxed pace.
- Country
- China
- Best months
- Apr–Oct
- Avoid
- Winter snow may limit access (check)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- CNY
- Money
- Alipay and WeChat Pay accept Visa, Mastercard, JCB and Amex cards; single payments over ¥200 carry a fee of about 3% on a foreign card (smaller ones are free), and per-payment and yearly caps apply — check the app. Keep a second way to pay.
- Daily spend
- Budget ¥120–250 excl. bed · Mid ¥250–400 excl. bed · High ¥400+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- A roaming eSIM from outside China routes traffic through its home network, so Google, WhatsApp and Instagram work without a VPN — the simplest setup.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire and ambulance 119
- Plugs
- Types A, C, I · 220 V · 50 Hz · Many sockets take flat two-pin (A), round two-pin (C) and angled three-pin (I) plugs; UK plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: No tip; upmarket hotels add 10–15% service.; Taxis and DiDi: No tip.; Tour guides and drivers: Expected on organised tours: about ¥100–200 a day for a guide, ¥50–100 for a driver.; Hotel porters: Not expected; ¥10–20 in luxury hotels.
- Water
- Not for drinking from the tap; bottled water ¥2–5, and kettles and free bottles in hotel rooms. Restaurants serve hot water or tea.
- Toilets
- Public toilets are frequent and free; squat toilets outside hotels and malls. Carry tissues — many have no paper.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Longji terrace entry | ¥80 (students ¥40) |
| Local bus Guilin → Longsheng | ¥40 |
| Private shuttle Guilin → Longsheng | ¥350 |
| Backpack carrier (per bag) | ¥20–25 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- KWL · Guilin Liangjiang International Airport
- About 2 h by bus to Longsheng
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Language, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Take a direct bus from Guilin railway station (¥40, departures 08:30/14:00) to Longsheng (≈2 h). From Longsheng, local buses (≈¥40) run to Ping'An or Dazhai (≈1 h). In villages, hire a minibus, gondola (Dazhai) or walk; backpack carriers cost ¥20–25.Take a direct bus from Guilin railway station (¥40, departures 8:30 AM/2:00 PM) to Longsheng (≈2 h). From Longsheng, local buses (≈¥40) run to Ping'An or Dazhai (≈1 h). In villages, hire a minibus, gondola (Dazhai) or walk; backpack carriers cost ¥20–25.
See and do
Known for
- Longji rice terraces
- Zhuang and Yao minority villages
- Hot spring
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Guilin | Direct bus from Guilin railway station, about 2 h | ≈2 h |
| Sanjiang | Frequent buses from Longsheng, about 2 h | ≈2 h |
Sleep
- Li Qing Hotel
- Ping'An village, ¥120–150, air‑con, free Wi‑Fi
- Baike Hotel
- Ping'An, convenient location, English‑speaking staff, can arrange ¥50 shuttle from Guilin
- Riverside GH
- Longsheng town, English‑run guesthouse, contact for price
- Wisdom Inn
- Dazhai village, ¥280–380, family‑run, English‑speaking, can book direct bus from Guilin
Language
Mandarin is the language of the whole country, written in Simplified characters; Cantonese dominates Guangdong and Hong Kong, and dozens of regional languages survive at home. English is on metro signs, airports and large hotels; elsewhere use a translation app. Pinyin (the romanisation) helps with names but tones change meaning.
- Translation apps: Baidu Translate, Youdao, Microsoft Translator and Apple Translate work without a VPN; Google Translate needs one or a roaming eSIM.
- Show destinations to taxi drivers in characters; copy them from Amap.
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and a nod; use surnames with a title; avoid: Hugs and cheek kisses
- Face: Disagree privately and indirectly; avoid: Correcting or embarrassing someone in front of others
- Gifts: Give with two hands; expect the gift to be refused once or twice and opened later; avoid: Clocks, umbrellas, white flowers, sets of four
- Business cards: Present and receive with both hands, read it, keep it on the table; avoid: Writing on it or pocketing it at once
- Queues and crowds: Hold your ground politely in scrums at buses and lifts; avoid: Taking pushing personally
- Temples: Walk clockwise around Tibetan stupas and prayer wheels; remove hats; avoid: Touching statues or photographing where signs forbid
- Politics: Listen; follow your host's lead; avoid: Raising Tibet, Taiwan, Xinjiang, 1989 or the party leadership
- Numbers and colour: Red and 8 are lucky; red envelopes carry money gifts; avoid: Writing names in red; the number 4
Scams and watch-outs
- Last local bus leaves before sunset; night travel on mountain roads is unsafe.
- Terrace ticket office charges ¥80 (students ¥40).
- Villagers have protested water‑flooding policy; occasional delays possible.
Generally safe; watch for slippery mountain paths after rain and keep valuables secure in crowded bus stations.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Longsheng yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Longji rice terraces
- Zhuang and Yao minority villages
- Hot spring
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Longsheng, revision 5122073 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5122073
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/longsheng). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.