Highlights of Guilin Travel

The river cruise

A steady stream of riverboats make the scenic jouey along the Li River Yangtze River tour between Guilin and Yangshuo, through the heart of the landscape of outlandish limestone pinnacles. Farm-hands in conical hats work the rice terraces, while on the river villagers fish from bamboo rafts using trained cormorants. This is the classic Chinese landscape familar from so many scroll paintings, and for many visitors, this region represents a quintessential taste of China.

En route, guides will intermittently point out the names that the poets have bestowed on the peaks: Waiting for -Husband’s Retu; Lion Ascending the Five Finger Hill; Chicken Cage Hill; Eight Immortals Crossing the River. The jouey takes three to five hours, depending on the water level, with lunch and transport back to Guilin by bus included in the price.

It is also possible to join a boat at Xingping for a short river trip. From Yangshuo, there are local buses every 20 minutes for the one-hour jouey to Xingping, which was the main town in the area 400 years ago. Surrounded by seven peaks on the east side of the river, it is worth allowing some time to stroll through the oldest part of Xingping, where traditional houses line narrow, unpaved footpaths.

For most of the year, boats leave from the tourist port at Zhujiang Pier, 20km (12 miles) south of central Guilin; tickets include transport to the pier from the city centre. Shorter trips are also possible, as well as trips starting in Yangshuo and Xingping.
Yangshuo and nearby sights

The town of Yangshuo last minute China travel deals lies right in the midst of all this stupendous scenery, on the west bank of the Li, 60km (37 miles) downstream from Guilin. It has long enjoyed a prime position on the backpacker trail, although these days it is crammed with foreign and domestic tourists of all budgets, and fills up even more in the afteoons when -visitors disembark from the Guilin boats.

Despite all this, Yangshuo somehow manages to retain a riverside country town feel, and for most tourists remains one of the most enjoyable destinations in all of China. The great appeal is the opportunity it provides to slow down, bike or hike and explore the Chinese countryside that is otherwise only glimpsed from trains and buses. It is certainly one of the easiest places in China to spend time. There’s a good selection of reasonably priced accommodation in the town, a wide choice of clean, inexpensive restaurants with foreigner-friendly food, cheap beer and excellent Yunnan coffee.

Xi Jie (West Street) is the centre of the tourist scene. Most visitors arrive either at Yangshuo Quay at the bottom of the street China best tours, or at the bus -station on the coer of Diecui Lu and Pantao Lu. Chengzhong Lu has a few pavement cafés and small guesthouses, and there are more hotels along Binjiang Lu, some with great river views.
Around Yangshuo

Try to hire a bike in town (see margin page 338) and pedal out into the countryside. The 10-km (6-mile) jouey to Moon Hill (Yueliang Shan) southwest of town is fabulous and highly recommended; the view from the summit of the hill (a reasonably tough clamber) is spellbinding. Nearby the Black Dragon Caves (Heilong Dong) can be explored by boat or by kayak if you arrange your tour with a guide or agent in Yangshuo in advance.

Yangshuo has become one of China’s foremost adventure-sport capitals in recent years. Rock-climbing, boating and ballooning trips can all be organised from operators in town. All three pursuits offer spectacular new perspectives on the landscape. Rafting around Jade Dragon Bridge (Yulong Qiao) is a particular highlight.

Guilin (city)

The provincial capital of Guilin has been a significant political and cultural centre since Tang-dynasty times (618 906), though at first glance there is little to see of this rich history almost the entire city was razed by the Japanese army in 1944. Still, Guilin remains attractive. Parks and osmanthus trees lighten the urban landscape, and a few limestone peaks rise above the buildings. The Li River cuts through town, and many small restaurants offer river cuisine, such as fish, eel, frog, turtle, snail, shrimp and snake.

Elephant Trunk Hill (Xiangbi Shan), topped by 500-year-old Puxian Pagoda, offers good views across the city. To the northwest, beside an 800-year-old banyan tree on the northe bank of the Rong Hu Lake, is an authentic remnant of the Old City. Further north the main hub of activity is the area around Central Square (Zhongxin Guangchang) and Zhongshan Lu. Between Central Square and the Li River, Zhengyang Lu pedestrian street is geared towards tourists, with a selection of restaurants, bars, galleries and souvenir stalls.

Guilin's pre-eminent historical sight is the Palace of the Jinjiang Princes (Jinjiang Wangfu), a short stroll north of the centre. This ancient city within a city has its very own karst mountain inside its walls (included in charge). Solitary Beauty Peak (Duxiu Feng) rises up above the Ming buildings, and climbing the 300 or so steps to the pagoda at the top rewards you with the delightful view enjoyed by princes and poets over the centuries.

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