walking distance & et cetera -

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Sama is a cultural group in the Philippines consisting of a majority of the coastal people within the Sulu sea area. Sama members may be described as a cohesive and peace-loving people. They express themselves through verbal discussion rather than through physical violence.
Sama society is composed of the Barbangsa, of royal blood or nobility, and Mahardika, commoners who are free to exercise their basic rights over their private properties and their own professed religion.

Being a datu carries both social and political status. Socially a datu is clothed with a sense of higher maratapat (prestige). A headman sometimes claims to be a descendant of Kasalipan. He is followed by the people because of his Sharif lineage, coupled with his extraordinary limuh (wisdom) and personal traits of honesty, justice, and fairness. He acts as an arbiter of conflicts, counsellor of marital problems, and even as a leader of religious celebrations.

From birth to death, the life cycle of the Sama is full of taboos emanating from folk religion and spiritism, interwoven with those of other doctrines. The Samas have the notion that the occurrence of luck and misfortune in the life of an individual is due to their belief in the concept of Kadar iban Janji or on what has been willed and destined by the Divine.

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Banaue Rice Terraces

Banaue Rice Terraces, Philippines

Banaue Rice Terraces , Philippines

The Banaue Rice Terraces are 2,000-year-old terraces that were carved into the mountains of Ifugao in the Philippines by ancestors of the indigenous people. The Rice Terraces are commonly referred to as the "Eighth Wonder of the World". It is commonly thought that the terraces were built with minimal equipment, largely by hand. The terraces are located approximately 1500 metres (5000 ft) above sea level. They are fed by an ancient irrigation system from the rainforests above the terraces. It is said that if the steps were put end to end, it would encircle half the globe.

Locals to this day still plant rice and vegetables on the terraces, although more and more younger Ifugaos do not find farming appealing, often opting for the more lucrative hospitality industry generated by the terraces[citation needed. The result is the gradual erosion of the characteristic "steps", which need constant reconstruction and care. In 2010, a further problem was drought, with the terraces drying up completely in March of that year.

Longsheng Rice Terraces, China

Longsheng Rice Terraces, China

The Longsheng Rice Terraces are located 23 kilometers (14 miles) from Longsheng city. They are the most famous rice terraces in China. Construction started in the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368) and the fields cover an area of over 66 square kilometers (16,300 acres) and at its highest point is 1100 meters high (3600 feet). Longji (Dragon's Backbone) Terraced Rice Fields received their name because the rice terraces resemble a dragon's scales, while the summit of the mountain range looks like the backbone of the dragon. Visitors standing on the top of the mountain can see the dragon's backbone twisting off into the distance. In a early morning when weather is fine, the sunrise on the summit of Longji Rice Terraces is magnificent. The terraced rice fields make Longji a paradise for photographers and people interested in China's minority cultures. In the morning many visitors like to get up early to watch the sun rise above the terraced peaks. During the day time, it is wonderful to see minority women who live in the Huangluo Yao Village working in the fields in colorful costumes. Longji is spectacular in every season. The best time to visit Longji is totally up to your travel interests. However, Spring and Autumn is most recommended. In spring, the rain irrigates the fields, and each field looks like a mirror reflecting the blue sky and fluffy clouds. In summer, the terraces look like small forests as the bright green rice plants begin to grow to maturity. In the fall, the mountains are covered in gold as the ripe rice plants wait to be harvested. In winter, the whole mountain could be covered with snow making the mountain look like a giant sleeping white dragon (the snow season is short in Longji from Jan. to Feb.). The Longji Dragon's Back Rice Terraces have an almost mystical quality to them. As visitors climb walk along the mountain paths, each view that opens up is more beautiful than the one before.

Longsheng Rice Terraces, China

Honghe Hani Rice Terraces in Southern Yunnan, China,
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The Honghe Hani Rice Terraces are the system of Hani rice-growing terraces located in Honghe Prefecture, Yuanyang County, Yunnan, China. The terraces' history spans around 1,200 years. The distribution has four counties: Yuanyang, Honghe, Jinpin and Lüchun. The core area of the terraces is located in Yuanyang County. The area has 1,000,000 acres and declaration area has 16,603 ha.
In 2013, the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces were listed as a World Heritage Site.

There are 4 major scenic spots in the area. They are Duoyi Tree, Bada, Tiger Mouth and Jingkou Village. They scatter in the different places of Yuanyang.The terraces present different views in different seasons. From November to March, the terrace fields will be filled with water. When the sunlight shines on the water, the terrace will be very beautiful. From April to September, there will be green paddy rice all over the field. In late September and early October, the rice fields ripe and turn yellow.

CNY 100 for a through ticket valid for one day, CNY180 valid for 10 days and CNY360 valid for 1 year. It’s not convenient to travel between the scenic spots. So it’s best to rent a car to visit these scenic spots, which is more flexible and easy to drop by to take photos. It is recommended to watch the sunrise in Duoyi Tree and watch the sunset at Tiger Mouth. Cloud sea often occur in Bada Scenic Spot. Jingkou Village is well-preserved Hani Village, where tourists could experience local culture. There are also many other terraces worth visiting and no entrance fee required, such as Longshuba and Habo Village.