As a lover of the real "off the beaten track tourist gems", this is one of the latest editions to my list. Enchanted and inspired by a visit to the Yunnan Province in December 2012, it was time to return to check out the sights in and around the city of Luoping, the main point was to admire the marvellous Yellow Canola Fields at Jin Ji Cun.
Luoping is so isolated and remote that almost every travel guide book for China doesn't even mention it! It's certainly not a well known tourist spot, even more reason for you to check it out!
What are these Yellow Canola Fields?
This series of yellow fields are so coloured due to the flowers. The rapeseed harvest in Spring contains a load of yellow flowers adding magnificent colour to the region. It is used to make Canola Oil.
When should you visit the Yellow Canola Fields at Jin Ji Cun?
Please make sure you go there only in Spring. This is when the yellow fields are visible. The rest of the year they are not! A little bit of research pays off here - it's advisable to head sometime between February and April.
Getting to Luoping Yellow Canola Fields:
It's not entirely easy to get to, but make sure you first arrive in the city of Luoping. You can ask around at your hotel or show locals some pictures or Chinese characters for where you want to go. Most of them will know where it is. A bus will take you there within 20 minutes.
From Luoping bus station, ask how to get to Jin Ji Cun, Yellow Canola Fields. You will get a green minibus from the main road, which costs just 5RMB each. It's a very local bus and a local experience. If you are foreign like me (a travelling Northern Irishman) you will really stand out from the crowd. There were NO other foreigners anywhere in sight in this part of the Yunnan Province.
The bus takes around 20 - 25 minutes and drops you right off at the entrance to the Yellow Canola Fields. The fields will be on your right, and the village of Jin Ji Cun will be on your left - you will most likely head to Jin Ji Cun after seeing the Yellow Canola Fields, as there are ample accommodation options there.
What price is it to visit the Yellow Fields?
You will be happy to hear they are free to visit. Simply turn up, walk around and enjoy to your heart's content!
What is there to do at the Yellow Fields near Luoping?
They are yellow canola fields. You look at them and you admire them and you take some photos. Yes that's it. On the way there you walk down a path through a market where there are lots of local food stalls - things like potato, chicken and honey are all sold here. The path is less than 500 metres long and that's the only commercial thing here! There is no ticket booth and certainly no widespread advertising. This is as natural and uncommercial as a top tourist attraction can get.
To get really decent views over the yellow Canola fields, head to the top of one of the small hills in and around the fields. There are custom built paths up to the top.
After seeing the yellow fields head to the village across the road. It's called Jin Ji Cun and you can stay there for the night. You can watch the fields at sunrise and sunset to get really different views of the canola fields.
Is there anything unique about these yellow canola fields?
NO, of course not - these types of fields are everywhere, including parts of China, Australia, Canada and the USA. BUT this is a great place to see a vast number of them looking so pretty. It is also a fantastic off the beaten track spot and it was my first time to see these types of yellow fields. I really recommend it!
What else is there to do near the Yellow Canola Fields?
As with most places there are other things to see and do. A nearby national park boasts the impressive 7 Dragons Waterfalls and there is a temple on a hill. You can also get a local ride on the back of a cart driven by a yak. But the main event here is definitely these pretty Yellow Canola Fields. Worth a visit.
Luoping is so isolated and remote that almost every travel guide book for China doesn't even mention it! It's certainly not a well known tourist spot, even more reason for you to check it out!
What are these Yellow Canola Fields?
This series of yellow fields are so coloured due to the flowers. The rapeseed harvest in Spring contains a load of yellow flowers adding magnificent colour to the region. It is used to make Canola Oil.
When should you visit the Yellow Canola Fields at Jin Ji Cun?
Please make sure you go there only in Spring. This is when the yellow fields are visible. The rest of the year they are not! A little bit of research pays off here - it's advisable to head sometime between February and April.
Getting to Luoping Yellow Canola Fields:
It's not entirely easy to get to, but make sure you first arrive in the city of Luoping. You can ask around at your hotel or show locals some pictures or Chinese characters for where you want to go. Most of them will know where it is. A bus will take you there within 20 minutes.
From Luoping bus station, ask how to get to Jin Ji Cun, Yellow Canola Fields. You will get a green minibus from the main road, which costs just 5RMB each. It's a very local bus and a local experience. If you are foreign like me (a travelling Northern Irishman) you will really stand out from the crowd. There were NO other foreigners anywhere in sight in this part of the Yunnan Province.
The bus takes around 20 - 25 minutes and drops you right off at the entrance to the Yellow Canola Fields. The fields will be on your right, and the village of Jin Ji Cun will be on your left - you will most likely head to Jin Ji Cun after seeing the Yellow Canola Fields, as there are ample accommodation options there.
What price is it to visit the Yellow Fields?
You will be happy to hear they are free to visit. Simply turn up, walk around and enjoy to your heart's content!
What is there to do at the Yellow Fields near Luoping?
They are yellow canola fields. You look at them and you admire them and you take some photos. Yes that's it. On the way there you walk down a path through a market where there are lots of local food stalls - things like potato, chicken and honey are all sold here. The path is less than 500 metres long and that's the only commercial thing here! There is no ticket booth and certainly no widespread advertising. This is as natural and uncommercial as a top tourist attraction can get.
To get really decent views over the yellow Canola fields, head to the top of one of the small hills in and around the fields. There are custom built paths up to the top.
After seeing the yellow fields head to the village across the road. It's called Jin Ji Cun and you can stay there for the night. You can watch the fields at sunrise and sunset to get really different views of the canola fields.
Is there anything unique about these yellow canola fields?
NO, of course not - these types of fields are everywhere, including parts of China, Australia, Canada and the USA. BUT this is a great place to see a vast number of them looking so pretty. It is also a fantastic off the beaten track spot and it was my first time to see these types of yellow fields. I really recommend it!
What else is there to do near the Yellow Canola Fields?
As with most places there are other things to see and do. A nearby national park boasts the impressive 7 Dragons Waterfalls and there is a temple on a hill. You can also get a local ride on the back of a cart driven by a yak. But the main event here is definitely these pretty Yellow Canola Fields. Worth a visit.
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