Guilin and Yangshuo

China has riches of scenery, history, and culture within its borders. Guilin and Yangshuo areas are considered jewels in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region; those are among the most scenic places in the country. Sites feature karst mountains dramatically, winding rivers, and rural beauty. Nature lovers, adventurers, and photographers all appreciate Guilin and Yangshuo. Whether one rides along the Li River, cycles over rice paddies, or passes through ancient caves, it goes without saying that any visitor to this land would surely tell you about its unforgettable adventure experience.

Guilin: Portal to Splendor

A city over 2,000 years old, and entrance to one of China’s most beautiful landscapes. This city contains its limestone karsts, mountainous locales covered in its green overgrowths, as well as its meandering rivers. For more than 1,000 years, it has been written that “Guilin’s scenery is the best under heaven,” describing a region of unmatched beauty.

Top Attractions in Guilin

1. Li River Cruise

The Li River is the very lifeblood of the Guilin landscape and an unforgettable boat tour along the waters offers fantastic panoramic views of towering karst peaks, misty valleys, and idyllic fishing villages. Stretching 83 kilometers from Guilin to Yangshuo, it passes in front of several well-known landmarks including Elephant Trunk Hill, Nine Horse Fresco Hill, and Yellow Cloth Shoal which adorns China’s 20-yuan banknote.

2. Reed Flute Cave

Reed Flute Cave is one of the most frequently visited natural attractions in Guilin. This 240 meters long limestone cave is decorated with artificial lighting for colorful stalactites, stalagmites, and other formations. The origin of the name comes from the fact that reeds are growing inside the cave for which flutes were made hundreds of years ago.

3. Elephant Trunk Hill

It is one of the most acclaimed views in Guilin and rests at the meeting point of the Li and Taohua rivers. The silhouette of the hill assumes a shape that looks exactly like an elephant dipping snout into the river to take a drink. There is a view of the Water Moon Cave from the site and one enjoys a bird’s eye view of the city from the top.

4. Seven Star Park

It is the largest park in Guilin, occupying 1.34 square kilometers of space. Among its attractions are Camel Hill, Flower Bridge, and the Seven Star Cave. It is also the abode of the Giant Pandas for animal lovers to try to see.

Yangshuo: A Rural Paradise

A small town 65 kilometers from Guilin, Yangshuo attracts tourists for their idyllic countryside, beautiful karst, and outdoor pursuits. Yet, it gives an urban feel to the visiting population and has placed them amidst nature at the heart of living in old traditional villages. The small town has popularly known its heaven for backpackers and traveling people as an easy escapade.

Recommended Attractions: Yangshuo

1. West Street

Yangshuo center that also holds where East meets West is West Street. The street is a pedestrian one. Its features can be described in terms of lined cafes, bars, and souvenir shops lined in restaurants by locals serving personal Chinese, the local delicacies besides international ones. Energy of this space brings to an end an actual culture of experiences brought about by the traveling mates.

2. Bamboo Rafting on Yulong River

An alternative to cruising the Li River-quietest experience- is bamboo rafting on Yulong River. And as Yulong meanders into rice paddies, ancient villages, among limestone peaks a serene countryside travel is created through hand-paddled bamboo rafts so there’s no chugging forward being propelled by any motorboat in order to behold the view up close.

3. Moon Hill

Moon Hill is one of the most well-known karst arch formations. The shape is one that looks like a crescent moon. The hike to the top takes 20-40 minutes. Panoramic views abound at the summit. Miles and miles of breathtakingly beautiful landscapes stretch across the horizon when the weather allows it to.

4. Xianggong Hill

There is easy access to the best view of the Li River panorama at number one destination Xianggong Hill, but a short climb with great steepness, for which the visitors will demand great rewards finding a spectacular vantage point most preferably during dawn and dusk, when light creates an ethereal atmosphere.

Activities and Experiences

Apart from touring, there are so many activities that make a visit to Guilin and Yangshuo. Among these are the following:

1. Cycling Through the Countryside

One of the best ways of touring Yangshuo’s breathtakingly beautiful landscape is by renting a bicycle. Touring the countryside by cycle provides travelers access to small villages and the opportunities to see paddy fields attended by farmers where not even vehicles could reach the sites.

2. Rock Climbing

Yangshuo is probably the best China destination for the sport of climbing. Climbers from all continents come to that destination. Be it a starter or an old hand, rock climbing routes experience in Karst formations are seen. Some very popular destinations always climbed are the Moon Hill and White Mountain-Twin Gates.
3. Impression Sanjie Liu Show

Impression Sanjie Liu is outdoor performance, whereas the director was Zhang Yimou, in the background of the Li River and karst mountains. Thousands of performers combined with traditional folk songs and beautiful effects of light contribute to making this activity one of the must-be-seen aspects of any trip.

4. Cormorant Fishing

Li River has been a long time traditional fishing place for cormorant birds. They have been trained by fisher men to grab fish and not swallow the big ones by having a string put around their neck. It seldom appears nowadays, especially as the main form of catching fish. Yet it is a very good tourist attraction through culture.
Best time to visit

The best time to visit Guilin and Yangshuo is during spring, with the weather conditions being mild, and the landscapes are most beautiful during these months. Spring offers lush greenery and flowers blooming in every corner, whereas autumn brings crystal clear skies with pleasant temperatures. Summer can get very hot and humid with some heavy downpours at times, and winters are relatively mild but less scenic.
Getting There
Accessible also by air, train and bus. Its international and domestic flights fall within Guilin Liangjiang International Airport. Then it would not matter who he or she is coming from. From Guillin, for example, the high speed trains pass through to Beijing, Guangzhou and Shenzhen among others. Buses, taxis, and the sightseeing cruises of the Li River drive one to Yangshuo of Guilin.

Guilin and Yangshuo are two of the most breathtaking places in China, where nature marries with heritage and outdoor adventures. Once you begin to understand that love of those iconic karst mountains floating along the Li River or even cycle through that countryside, it is magic pure and simple. A trip to Guilin and Yangshuo is, more than a landscape tour, immersing in one of the world’s most amazing places on earth.