Guilin to Yangshuo Transportations

Huangluo village, in Northern Guangxi’s Longji Rice Terraces region, is famous for its picturesque beauty and the unique culture of the locals. The Yao minority live in large pine houses in which they keep livestock on the bottom floor. The Yao’s most famous trait, however, is the long, raven-black hair of the women, who are famous for having the longest hair on Earth.

Quick Facts

• Entrance Fee: free (the fee is included in the Longji Rice Terraces entrance ticket.)
• Open Hours: 24/7
• Suggested Visiting Time: 1-2 hours
• Location: Heping Town, Longsheng County, Guilin (within Longji Scenic Area)

Culture of the Yao People

The Yao ethnic minority, also called HongYao (“Red Yao” because of the red clothing worn by the women), have a long, unique culture dating back over 2000 years, to the Qin dynasty in Imperial China. There are over 2.6 million total Yao spread around China, including some living abroad. Huangluo village has about 400 Yao living there today.

1. Long Hair

The Hongyao women only cut their hair once in their lives. And their cut hair is kept as a gift for their future husbands. They cut their hair once, on their 18th birthdays, as a coming of age ceremony. In fact, the Yao hair length is in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s first “Long Hair Village.” The longest-haired person in the Guinness World Records dates to a 2004 Yao Woman with hair measuring 6.88 meters (18 feet and 5.5 inches).

The Yao people believe that long hair brings long life, fortune in business, and good luck in general. Traditionally, the hair was worn on top of the head, in a hat, and if a man saw a woman’s hair he would have to spend 3 years as a son-in-law to her family, fortunately, that law changed in the 1980s.

Now, the local women will show their long hair to paying tourists (80 CNY for a 30-minute long-hair show), which may not seem like a good thing, but it’s made one of China’s poorest regions relatively wealthy.

2. Rice Gluten Shampoo

Not just famous for the length of their hair, the Hong Yao women are also famous for the ebony luster of their hair, and famously they don’t have grey hairs until in their 80s. Their claim to this obsidian hair is a shampoo made from rice water.

The shampoo is made by soaking rinsed rice in water for 30 minutes. Stimulate the rice in the water to move it around and let the water absorb the vitamins and minerals from the rice. Some recipes call for leaving the rice in water for a day or two so it can ferment. The fermentation makes the water have a more similar PH balance to that of hair and is thus healthier for the scalp and hair.

3. Traditional Clothes

• The clothing of the HongYao people is red and black, hence the nickname Red Yao.
• During festivals, they wear enormous red tussled and bejeweled hats. Silver jewelry is also typically donned for festivals.
• Yao embroidery, weaving, and dying is a culture going back thousands of years, so their clothes are famous for being ornate, and beautifully designed.
• Both sexes wear rich and colorful clothes featuring blues, yellows, greens, and of course, red.
• Women wear a large turban, robe with a sash, and trousers. Men wear a tunic with trousers, and an embroidered hat similar to a skull cap.
• Other Yao throughout China are famous for other clothing, such as the White Trouser Yao and the Pan Yao with their 3-horn hats.

4. Yao Buildings

The Yao people live largely in large pine cabins. Some live in thatched cottages and a few live bamboo huts or houses with rammed earth walls.

The large pine cabins typically have 3 floors, with the bottom floor saved for livestock and the top 2 floors reserved for a family. The house is usually composed of 3 rooms- a middle room which is the family room, with a bedroom on either side and a kitchen in front, and a bed in the back.

5. Etiquette/Culture

The Yao are traditionally Taoist, and Taoist beliefs and customs decide many things in traditional Yao Communities.

Marriage

Yao almost never intermarries with other groups. Yao husbands typically live with the wife’s family. Typically, couples meet at traditional festivals, where they will exchange keepsakes, symbolizing their love. Unlike in most of China, parents do not typically intervene in marriage proposals between courting couples, however, a matchmaker may facilitate a meeting between 2 people before the decision to marry.

Respect For Elders

Yao people show great respect for their elders. Young Yao must greet elders when they see them on the road. Additionally, speaking the name of an older person, crossing their legs, and using bad language are all signs of disrespect to the elderly. Younger people should also give their seats and food during meals to the elderly.

The Yao Songs and Dance Performance

Everyone in Huangluo Yao Village can sing and dance very well. They are friendly and hospitable. The Yao girls, dressed in their beautiful traditional clothes, will welcome visitors with their unique Yao songs and dance performances.

Besides, there are two special festivals in Huangluo where you can join in their celebrations and experience their unique culture.

Panwang Festival

This festival happens once every few years, and in some villages once every 12 years only. The local master of folk leads a ceremony of song and dance to the god called Panwang (盘王) for protection. Villagers perform the long-drum dance.

The Danu Festival

Usually taking place on the 29th day of the 5th lunar month (Late June/early July), the Danu festival. The ceremony involves playing drum that represents the drum that Zuniang the ancestor goddess gave her daughter. People pray during this festival for good health, harvest, and fertility of people and livestock. They then dance and sing traditional festival songs.

How to Get There

By Public Bus:

There are 2 bus stations (Guilin Qintan Bus Station 桂林琴谭汽车站and Guilin North Bus Station 桂林汽车北站) in Guilin that do trips to the Longji area, you can take a city bus from each of them. The cost is around 40 to 50 CNY.

From the entrance gate of Longji, signs are well-marked and it is easy to find the local villages, including Huangluo, home of the Yao. It takes about 30 minutes up the mountain switchbacks to get to the Huangluo village.

By Tour Bus:

Many travel agencies also arrange tour buses that can pick you up at various locations around Guilin to bring you to Longji. Costs will vary from 60 to 100 CNY for tour buses.

By Private Car:

Many hotels and tour agencies can get you a private car to Longji from Guilin, obviously, expect to pay a premium of several hundred CNY. See 1-Day Longji Rice Terraced Fields and Minority Villages Tour (Mini Group of 6 People).

Nearby Attractions

The Longji Rice Terraces area is home to numerous attractions, from Golden Buddha Peak to Ping’an Village to Dazhai Village. The area is extremely well marked from the parking lots and entrance gates, so it is easy to find your destination.

Locals will also meet you at the parking lots to both help you find your goal and porter luggage up the sometimes difficult hills.