Most rice terraces look more charming when the landscape is green; Yuanyang however are more frequently visited after harvest, in winter, when the terraces are mirror pools.

Visited Yuanyang in August of 2013, just months after being inscribed in the World Heritage List. At the time, transportation from one rice terrace cluster to another was difficult. My friend and I rode the local small buses with the locals; rides were irregular and less frequent. We found out that transportation will become more "centralized," using new fancy buses, to accommodate the tourists expected to pour in, especially after the World Heritage inscription. Cases like this, the local authorities will not only dictate price, they also squeeze out local car owners who benefit from driving tourists.