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?
A fantastic series of yellow fields! They are yellow because the flower for harvesting rapeseed is coloured bright yellow. Rapeseed oil is made from them, also known as Canola.
When should you visit the Yellow Canola Fields at Jin Ji Cun?
Spring time. The yellow Canola fields are only in bloom once a year, normally sometime between February and April so go then to see them. The rest of the year, they are just not yellow!
How to get to the Canola Fields at Jin Ji Cun?
It's quite tricky to get to. Start off in the city of Luoping and get a bus out to Jin Ji Cun. Check with the locals by showing them photos of the fields and the Chinese character names. From there it's a 20 minute bus ride.
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 will get you there in around 20 - 25 minutes and you will notice the yellow fields on the right hand side.
How much is the entry fee to Yellow Canola Fields?
There is no entry fee! The yellow canola fields are natural and completely free to visit, the beauty of the travelling lifestyle.
What can you do at the Luoping Canola Fields?
Admire them by walking around taking in the views and the impressive yellow colours on display. Take some photos, buy some local food from the stalls and head round the path. You can get a good view of the fields.
To get a good view, simply climb up some of the small hills, there are lots - you will see other tourists on top of them, follow the paths up to the top. We climbed up two of them, but there are lots. Take your quirky photos - jumping up, walking through the fields, standing on rocks staring down etc.
Once you've seen it, head to the village of Jin Ji Cun to get a place to stay for the night. The yellow canola fields are meant to look great at sunrise and sunset. When we visited, you couldn't see the sun at all, so it was just admiring the fields themselves!
Are these yellow canola fields at Jin Ji Cun special?
No - canola or rapeseed is grown worldwide in a number of locations including Canada and Australia so you can see them in other places. However the views at Jin Ji Cun, Luoping in China are epic and this is a rare chance to see them in a very unusual location away from any foreign tourists.
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?
A fantastic series of yellow fields! They are yellow because the flower for harvesting rapeseed is coloured bright yellow. Rapeseed oil is made from them, also known as Canola.
When should you visit the Yellow Canola Fields at Jin Ji Cun?
Spring time. The yellow Canola fields are only in bloom once a year, normally sometime between February and April so go then to see them. The rest of the year, they are just not yellow!
How to get to the Canola Fields at Jin Ji Cun?
It's quite tricky to get to. Start off in the city of Luoping and get a bus out to Jin Ji Cun. Check with the locals by showing them photos of the fields and the Chinese character names. From there it's a 20 minute bus ride.
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 will get you there in around 20 - 25 minutes and you will notice the yellow fields on the right hand side.
How much is the entry fee to Yellow Canola Fields?
There is no entry fee! The yellow canola fields are natural and completely free to visit, the beauty of the travelling lifestyle.
What can you do at the Luoping Canola Fields?
Admire them by walking around taking in the views and the impressive yellow colours on display. Take some photos, buy some local food from the stalls and head round the path. You can get a good view of the fields.
To get a good view, simply climb up some of the small hills, there are lots - you will see other tourists on top of them, follow the paths up to the top. We climbed up two of them, but there are lots. Take your quirky photos - jumping up, walking through the fields, standing on rocks staring down etc.
Once you've seen it, head to the village of Jin Ji Cun to get a place to stay for the night. The yellow canola fields are meant to look great at sunrise and sunset. When we visited, you couldn't see the sun at all, so it was just admiring the fields themselves!
Are these yellow canola fields at Jin Ji Cun special?
No - canola or rapeseed is grown worldwide in a number of locations including Canada and Australia so you can see them in other places. However the views at Jin Ji Cun, Luoping in China are epic and this is a rare chance to see them in a very unusual location away from any foreign tourists.
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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