Yunnan Rice Paddies (5) Wolonggu Village: 'Shangri-La' with fragrance of rice

Wolonggu Village is 15 kilometers away from the city proper of Kaiyuan, southeast Yunnan’s Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture. It seems like a “Shangri-La” forgotten by the world.

In Wolonggu, the rice cultivation has a long history. Rice planting and a variety of rice species in the village are recorded in “General Annals of Yunnan” written in Emperor Zhengde’s reign (1506-1521) during the Ming Dynasty(1368-1644). 

Wolonggu rice has a mellow taste. According to Li Wenxiang, general manager of the Yunnan Honghe Rice Industry Co., Ltd., the rice produced in Wolonggu are white and transparent. “The flavor of rice here is unique and tastes different from that produced in other cultivation area even though it is only a river away.” 

The climate of Wolonggu is characterized by a long summer and short winter, with huge daily temperature differences and small annual temperature differences. It has distinctive dry and wet seasons, with droughts in winter and spring. All of these are suitable for planting good-quality rice.

There are several scenic spots near the village, like the South Cave, the Lujiang Park, Luhu Lake and Yunwo Temple.

Reporting by Zhang Lin (Daguan Weekly); Photos by the interviewees