A veritable paradise

Nature's bounty: Longji rice terraces in Longsheng County, Guilin.

Journey to a hinterland in China that’s rich in culture, and where time-honoured traditions are still upheld.

ROWS of perfectly landscaped terraces, still green with paddy shoots in early September, beckon from the open window of our room at Ping’An Village in Guangxi Province, China. It was barely dawn, but the villagers were already up and about, heading off to work in the terraces. Outside some houses, children played with corn kernels left out to dry.