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Voykit pocket guide · China
Yuanyang
元阳
Spend 1–2 days in Yuanyang Old Town (Xinjie) to see the rice terraces; base in a guesthouse and use local buses for villages.
Yuanyang Old Town is the tourist hub for the world‑famous Hani rice terraces. A short stay (1–2 days) lets you visit the main villages, catch sunrise on the terraces and return to Kunming by bus. Longer trips are only needed for deeper trekking.
- Country
- China
- Local name
- 元阳
- Best months
- Oct–Apr (check)
- Avoid
- Jun–Sep (rainy season, 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 ¥80–¥120 excl. bed · Mid ¥150–¥250 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 |
|---|---|
| Breakfast at guesthouse | ¥15–¥30 |
| Local bus ticket to village | ¥10–¥20 |
| Taxi from city centre to bus station | ¥50–¥60 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- KMG · Kunming Changshui International Airport
- About 7 h bus to Yuanyang; check schedules.
Typical fares
- Kunming → Yuanyang bus
- about ¥140, 7 h (check)
- Local minibus to terraces
- ¥15–¥20 per person (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Local minibuses from Nansha (Yuanyang New City) bus station to villages; walk or hire a driver (≈¥15–¥20 per person). Gate fees ¥60 apply to some terrace areas.
See and do
Known for
- Hani rice terraces
- Yishu village
- Bada village
- Habo village
- Longshu dam
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Yishu village | Local bus from Nansha, then walk 2 km (1.2 mi)Local bus from Nansha, then walk 1.2 mi (2 km) | ≈1 h |
| Bada village | Local bus to Nansha, then minibus 30 min | ≈1.5 h |
Sleep
- Yingyoulian Guest House
- Dormitory from ¥30, private rooms from ¥40; close to Xinjie bus station.
- Flowers Residence
- Twin room ¥160, king ¥260; terrace view in Duoyishu village.
- Sunny Guesthouse
- Guesthouse with viewing terrace in Pugaolao village.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | 对不起duìbuqǐ |
| Thank you | 谢谢xièxiè |
| How much is it? | 多少钱？duōshǎo qián? |
| Where is the bus station? | 汽车站在哪里？qìchē zhàn zài nǎlǐ? |
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
- Gate fees of ¥60 for certain terrace sites; pay on entry.
- Buses may run on limited schedules; confirm times in advance.
Generally safe for tourists; watch for steep stairs in terraces and keep valuables secured on buses.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Yuanyang yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Hani rice terraces
- Yishu village
- Bada village
- Habo village
- Longshu dam
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: Yuanyang, revision 4929247 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=4929247
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/yuanyang). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.