Dragon Back Terraced Fields

Today, thankfully, the rain has stopped, so we set off on a full-day tour with three stops. It cost 150 yen per person, excluding lunch, but included an English-speaking guide. There are 55 minorities in China, and we were headed to visit the Huangluo Yao village, home to the "long-haired women." These women are famous for their beautiful, long black hair, which can grow up to 180 cm. Even the older women have strikingly black hair—no gray hair at all, thanks to the rice water they wash their hair with. It smells terrible, but it keeps their hair color vibrant for life. An unmarried girl hides her hair under a black hat. When she gets married, her husband is the first to see her long hair. After the wedding, she will twist it up into a hairstyle on top of her head, just like the other women. Once she has children, she’ll style a peak with her hair at the front. This way, you can always tell what kind of woman you’re talking to. These women hold a Guinness World Record for being the group with the longest hair in the world. They only cut their hair once in their lives—when they turn 18, they get a meter of hair trimmed off. Only members of the tribe are allowed to marry each other. The government has allowed all minorities to have two children, while other Chinese citizens are limited to one. However, after finishing school, the children from these minorities don’t return to the village; they move away. So, the tribes are slowly dying out. In the village, there’s a show where the women, among other things, let their hair down, sing, and dance. It costs 60 yen and isn’t included in the tour price. Other tourists have confirmed that the show isn’t spectacular. It’s just staged for tourists and doesn’t really reflect their culture or lifestyle. The women in the village are the active sellers, while the men just watch. They’re sweet and not too pushy, even though they really want to sell you something. We had a little older woman following us the whole time, smiling and trying to get us to buy her goods. Lunch is served in a small village on the way up the mountain to the Dragon Back Terraced Fields. The menu features a wide range of specialties: bamboo mouse, bamboo chicken, frogs, etc. The locals eat EVERYTHING they can find on the mountain. After lunch, we continued our trek to the top. The whole ascent takes about an hour. It’s not a strenuous hike; anyone can do it as long as they can walk up stairs. There are small stalls selling souvenirs and spices along the entire route, so it’s best to wait until the descent to make your purchases, so you don’t have to carry them along the way. Due to the season—off-peak—there are fewer tourists, so the sellers are even more eager to negotiate. Bracelets can be bargained down from 30 to 10 yen. Scarves can be haggled down from 20 to 8-9 yen. Teapots can be bought for 35 instead of 180 yen. Wooden vases with carvings can be had for 40 instead of 240 yen. Back in the city, we had the chance to try a very popular dining style. Large counters filled with fresh fish, shrimp, and oysters are kept on ice. Just point to what you want, and the chef grills it up quickly and easily. Several dishes, including wine from "The Great Wall," cost only 168 yen in total.