Yangshuo
Yangshuo is the countryside south of Guilin where the karst peaks stand in rice fields and every road is worth cycling. The town is noisy; the villages along the Yulong River, ten minutes away, are the slowest days in China.
- Region
- Guangxi, South
- Best months
- Apr–May, Sep–Nov
- Airports
- Via Guilin (KWL)
- Suggested stay
- 3–4 days
Overview
The peaks here are the ones on the twenty-yuan note and the ones in every ink painting, and they are close enough to touch. Rent a bike or an electric scooter and ride: to Moon Hill, along the Yulong River, through villages of mud-brick and stone where water buffalo block the road.
Yangshuo town has West Street, a bar strip that has been backpacker central since the 1980s, and a lot of tour buses. The point is to sleep outside it. Guesthouses in Jiuxian, Chaolong and the Yulong valley have peaks outside the window and nothing to do after dark.
It is also the rock-climbing capital of the country, with hundreds of bolted routes and schools for beginners. Summer is hot and green; winter is grey and quiet; spring and autumn are best.
Getting there
Yangshuo station is in Xingping, 40 minutes north-east of town by bus; trains from Guilin take 25 minutes and from Guangzhou about two and a half hours. Buses from Guilin's stations to Yangshuo take about 90 minutes. Most people fly to Guilin (KWL), an hour and a half away by shuttle or car.
Rail tip. Your passport is your ticket. Book on 12306 or Trip.com, then go straight to the gate. See Getting around.
Where to stay
Yulong River villages
遇龙河Guesthouses among the peaks along the river. Cycle everywhere. The reason to come.
Jiuxian, Chaolong, Jima and the guesthouses along the river road. Ten to twenty minutes from town by scooter or a rented bike; ask your guesthouse to fetch you from the bus.
Xingping
兴坪An old river town on the finest stretch of the Li, with the train station close by.
Small guesthouses in the old street. Quiet after the last raft; a good first or last night since the station is here.
Yangshuo town
阳朔县城West Street, bars, buses. Convenient and loud.
Hotels of every kind. Stay north of West Street if you want to sleep.
Things to do
Yulong River rafting
遇龙河漂流A bamboo raft punted by hand down the quiet river, past bridges and buffalo.
Moon Hill
月亮山A peak with a crescent hole through it, and 800 steps to stand in the arch.
Xingping and the twenty-yuan view
兴坪·二十元人民币背景The bend of the Li River on the banknote, a short walk from an old fishing town.
West Street
西街The old backpacker street, now a bar strip. Have one drink and go home to the village.
Rock climbing
攀岩Hundreds of bolted limestone routes and a friendly scene. Beginners welcome.
Impression Sanjie Liu
印象·刘三姐Zhang Yimou's light show on the river with peaks as the backdrop and 600 performers on the water.
Eat
Beer fish, carp from the river braised with beer, tomato and chilli, is the town dish and every restaurant has it. Guilin rice noodles at breakfast, stuffed snails, sticky-rice zongzi and farmhouse cooking in the villages: pumpkin flowers, greens from the field, smoked pork. West Street has pizza; the villages have the food.
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