Yang Shuo 阳朔
Let's get a few things straight from the start, Yes, Yangshuo is extremely touristy. Yes, parts of it are very Western indeed. And yes, you will be hassled by touts during every day of your stay. But if you use any of the above as an excuse for avoiding the area altogether, you’re making a big mistake.
There are many reasons that this place is one of the most popular destinations for foreigners in southern China - English-speaking locals, all-night bars, marshmallow lattes - but the main one is that it’s bloody gorgeous. Yangshuo's dreamy karst landscape is at times otherworldly, and far outstrips anything you'll see in Guilin. And once you’ve had your fill of pure, unadulterated natural beauty, there are a host of well-run courses and activities to keep you occupied far beyond your original intended length of stay. Make sure you’ve got plenty of time left on your visa when you arrive. This isn't a place you’ll be wanting to leave in a hurry.
Orientation
The town's heartbeat is the pedestrianised Xi Jie (西街West Street)
which runs northeast down to the Li River. It's positively bursting with hotels, restaurants, bars, cafes and souvenir shops, and is unashamedly hectic. Branching off Xi Jie are a number of narrow alleys that house quieter places to stay, eat and drink. The top end of Xi Jie meets Pantao Lu (蟠桃路)，where you’ll find the bus station, on the road to Guilin.
Li River 漓江
The river here far surpasses what you’ll see around Guilin. Classic rural scenes of wallowing water buffalo and farmers tending to crops are dominated by an awesome backdrop of soaring limestone peaks. There are also a number of picturesque, ancient villages to visit.Arguably the most stunning section is the 24km-stretch between Xingping and Yangdi. Xingping (兴坪)，the location of the photo on the back of Y20 banknotes, is more than 1000 years old and houses a number of historic residences, some laid-back cafes (try This Old Place, on Lao Jie) and a handful of guest houses. Xingping Inn (兴坪客栈;Xingping kezhan) is decent. Yangdi (扬堤）is also extremely picturesque, but is mostly visited as the starting point for the or superb hiking trail (Y16), which connects the two villages. It takes around four to five hours to complete, crossing the river three times, each time for a small fee. You can lake a bus or bamboo raft from Yangshuo to Yangdi,then walk to the trail to Xingping before getting a raft or bus back.
Another fun option in this area is the boat-and-bike trip from Yangshuo to Xingpmg and back . Also very popular, and much closer to b Yangshuo, is the historic village of Fuli with its stone houses and cobbled lanes. Fulli famous in these parts for its handmade fans.You’ll see them everywhere. It takes about an hour to get here by bike. First cycle south from e
Yangshuo before turning east over the bridge .that takes you on towards Dutou Village (渡头村;Dutou Cun). There take your bike on the ferry across the river. Fuli is on other side. There arc also regular buses from Yangshuo to a drop-off point within walking distance from Fuli .
Yulong River 遇龙河
If you thought the Li River was drop-dead gorgeous, you ain’t seen nothing yet. The scenery along this smaller, quieter river, about 4km southwest of Yangshuo, is simply breathtaking. There are a number of great swimming spats and countless exploring possibilities. Just rent a bike and get out there.
One option is to aim for Dragon Bridge (遇龙桥 Yulong Qiao), about 10km up- stream. This 600-year-old stone arched bridge is among Guangxi largest and comes with higgledy-piggledy steps and sides that lean inwards with age. Locals say the water under the bridge is 7m deep.It’s certainly a great spot for a swim. To get here by bike, lie boxed text.Alternatively, take a bus to Jinbao and ask to get off at the bridge just after Baisha .
Moon Hill月亮山
For mind-blowing views of the surrounding countryside，head to the surreal lime- stone pinnacle Moon Hill(Yueliang Shan), famed for its moon-shaped hole, To get here by bike, take the main road south of Yangshuo towards the river and turn right onto the road about 200m before the bridge.Moon Hill, is another 8km down the road on your right. The 1500-year-old Big Banyan Tree is nearby.
Black Buddha Caves & Water Caves 佛洞、水岩
For many travellers, the squelchy highlight of a visit to these caves is getting completely covered in a vast pool of mud as you navigate your way around the Black Buddha Caves (Heifo Dong), located before Moon Hill as you’re coming from Yangshuo. There are freshwater pools to wash off the mud afterwards. Tours into the Water Caves (Shui Yan)
located several kilometers beyond Moon Hill, enter by boat and take in an underground waterfall. Both caves can be reached by bike. Hostels organise tours. Note that prices are unofficial, so bargain all you want.
Shitoucheng 石头城
A visit to this fascinating Qing-dynasty village,perched on top of a limestone peak, is an unusual foray into the countryside
and Makes a great day trip for those looking for off-the-beaten-track adventure. The village was once a garrison town and the ancient gates and walls are mostly still intact. It’s a steep 30- to 50-minute climb up the hill from the village’s ‘new town’ to the ‘old town’ where the wall begins. Once at the top, it will take another four to five hours to walk around to all four of the main gates. Locals will show you around the stone ruins for about Y30.
To get here from Yangshuo, take any Guilin-bound bus to Putao, from where a motorbike taxi or tractor will take you the rest of the way to Shitoucheng. You should be able to arrange a motor-bike ride back to Putao through one of the villages.From there, you can flag down a south-bound bus back to Yangshuo.
Let's get a few things straight from the start, Yes, Yangshuo is extremely touristy. Yes, parts of it are very Western indeed. And yes, you will be hassled by touts during every day of your stay. But if you use any of the above as an excuse for avoiding the area altogether, you’re making a big mistake.
There are many reasons that this place is one of the most popular destinations for foreigners in southern China - English-speaking locals, all-night bars, marshmallow lattes - but the main one is that it’s bloody gorgeous. Yangshuo's dreamy karst landscape is at times otherworldly, and far outstrips anything you'll see in Guilin. And once you’ve had your fill of pure, unadulterated natural beauty, there are a host of well-run courses and activities to keep you occupied far beyond your original intended length of stay. Make sure you’ve got plenty of time left on your visa when you arrive. This isn't a place you’ll be wanting to leave in a hurry.
Orientation
The town's heartbeat is the pedestrianised Xi Jie (西街West Street)
which runs northeast down to the Li River. It's positively bursting with hotels, restaurants, bars, cafes and souvenir shops, and is unashamedly hectic. Branching off Xi Jie are a number of narrow alleys that house quieter places to stay, eat and drink. The top end of Xi Jie meets Pantao Lu (蟠桃路)，where you’ll find the bus station, on the road to Guilin.
Li River 漓江
The river here far surpasses what you’ll see around Guilin. Classic rural scenes of wallowing water buffalo and farmers tending to crops are dominated by an awesome backdrop of soaring limestone peaks. There are also a number of picturesque, ancient villages to visit.Arguably the most stunning section is the 24km-stretch between Xingping and Yangdi. Xingping (兴坪)，the location of the photo on the back of Y20 banknotes, is more than 1000 years old and houses a number of historic residences, some laid-back cafes (try This Old Place, on Lao Jie) and a handful of guest houses. Xingping Inn (兴坪客栈;Xingping kezhan) is decent. Yangdi (扬堤）is also extremely picturesque, but is mostly visited as the starting point for the or superb hiking trail (Y16), which connects the two villages. It takes around four to five hours to complete, crossing the river three times, each time for a small fee. You can lake a bus or bamboo raft from Yangshuo to Yangdi,then walk to the trail to Xingping before getting a raft or bus back.
Another fun option in this area is the boat-and-bike trip from Yangshuo to Xingpmg and back . Also very popular, and much closer to b Yangshuo, is the historic village of Fuli with its stone houses and cobbled lanes. Fulli famous in these parts for its handmade fans.You’ll see them everywhere. It takes about an hour to get here by bike. First cycle south from e
Yangshuo before turning east over the bridge .that takes you on towards Dutou Village (渡头村;Dutou Cun). There take your bike on the ferry across the river. Fuli is on other side. There arc also regular buses from Yangshuo to a drop-off point within walking distance from Fuli .
Yulong River 遇龙河
If you thought the Li River was drop-dead gorgeous, you ain’t seen nothing yet. The scenery along this smaller, quieter river, about 4km southwest of Yangshuo, is simply breathtaking. There are a number of great swimming spats and countless exploring possibilities. Just rent a bike and get out there.
One option is to aim for Dragon Bridge (遇龙桥 Yulong Qiao), about 10km up- stream. This 600-year-old stone arched bridge is among Guangxi largest and comes with higgledy-piggledy steps and sides that lean inwards with age. Locals say the water under the bridge is 7m deep.It’s certainly a great spot for a swim. To get here by bike, lie boxed text.Alternatively, take a bus to Jinbao and ask to get off at the bridge just after Baisha .
Moon Hill月亮山
For mind-blowing views of the surrounding countryside，head to the surreal lime- stone pinnacle Moon Hill(Yueliang Shan), famed for its moon-shaped hole, To get here by bike, take the main road south of Yangshuo towards the river and turn right onto the road about 200m before the bridge.Moon Hill, is another 8km down the road on your right. The 1500-year-old Big Banyan Tree is nearby.
Black Buddha Caves & Water Caves 佛洞、水岩
For many travellers, the squelchy highlight of a visit to these caves is getting completely covered in a vast pool of mud as you navigate your way around the Black Buddha Caves (Heifo Dong), located before Moon Hill as you’re coming from Yangshuo. There are freshwater pools to wash off the mud afterwards. Tours into the Water Caves (Shui Yan)
located several kilometers beyond Moon Hill, enter by boat and take in an underground waterfall. Both caves can be reached by bike. Hostels organise tours. Note that prices are unofficial, so bargain all you want.
Shitoucheng 石头城
A visit to this fascinating Qing-dynasty village,perched on top of a limestone peak, is an unusual foray into the countryside
and Makes a great day trip for those looking for off-the-beaten-track adventure. The village was once a garrison town and the ancient gates and walls are mostly still intact. It’s a steep 30- to 50-minute climb up the hill from the village’s ‘new town’ to the ‘old town’ where the wall begins. Once at the top, it will take another four to five hours to walk around to all four of the main gates. Locals will show you around the stone ruins for about Y30.
To get here from Yangshuo, take any Guilin-bound bus to Putao, from where a motorbike taxi or tractor will take you the rest of the way to Shitoucheng. You should be able to arrange a motor-bike ride back to Putao through one of the villages.From there, you can flag down a south-bound bus back to Yangshuo.
