Dalai Terraces

Dalai Terraces

The Dalai Terraces scenic area is situated in the southern part of Wuyi County, primarily spread around Dalai Village in Xinzhai Town, neighboring Tanhong Township, Yuyuan Township, and Wangzhai Town. It is 16 kilometers from the Xinzhai Town government seat, 42 kilometers from the county town, and located along the Dalai Village section of the Xuye–Dalai Terraces Scenic Drive, as well as 35 kilometers from Wuyi’s Qingshuiwan Hot Spring. The average elevation of the scenic area is 800 meters. The terrace landscape spans five villages: Dalai Village, Chenlong Village, Kuanghong Village, Xiangshantou Village, and Shangzhou Village. The total terrace area covers 3,030 mu, including 1,920 mu within Dalai Village alone. The terraces resemble the scenery of Yuanyang’s Dragon Backbone Rice Terraces in Yunnan, winding from the mountain foot to the summit with fluid, graceful lines. Their grand scale is truly magnificent. Interestingly, the largest terrace spans 5 mu, while the smallest is just 0.8 fen—tiny fragmented plots where only one or two rows of grain can be planted. The terraces’ scenery changes with the seasons: silver ribbons in spring, green waves in summer, golden steps in autumn, and coiling dragons in winter, forming a breathtaking pastoral panorama with their elegant curves.

When the Dalai Terraces in Wuyi enter the planting season, among the more than 18,000 terraced fields of all sizes, the hardworking and simple villagers of Dalai don straw raincoats, wear conical hats, carry plows, and lead oxen, preparing to till the soil and transplant seedlings. In the distance, after the rain, a light mist drifts over the mountains, while the fresh air carries the scent of green grass. The layered terraces, shaped like pagodas, stand distinctly one above the other. The freshly sown seedlings show vibrant shades of green, brimming with life. Each level of the terraces is filled with glistening spring water, sparkling in the sunlight. The lowing of oxen echoes through the hills. With rippling waters and fresh green seedlings, the scene presents a tranquil rural idyll, much like the paradise described by Tao Yuanming.

Xinzhai Town: Located in the mountainous southern region of Wuyi County, Xinzhai Town is 17 kilometers from the county seat. It borders Jinyun County and Liandu District of Lishui City to the southeast, neighbors Tanhong Township to the west, and connects to Datian Township to the north. The town covers a total area of 181.2 square kilometers, making it the largest in administrative size within Wuyi County. With a population of 24,000, it governs 46 administrative villages and is a predominantly agricultural mountain town with more hills than arable land. Xinzhai Town boasts vast territory and abundant resources: lush forests with a forest coverage rate of 83.6%, and plentiful hydropower, featuring 22 small hydropower stations with a combined installed capacity of approximately 3,000 kilowatts… More details on Xinzhai Town++