Rent a bike, not a car — the good roads here are the small ones

The valley is flat, the lanes are narrow, and everything worth seeing is within an hour's pedalling: the Yulong bridges, Moon Hill, villages where a water buffalo has right of way.

Guesthouse bikes are usually free or a few yuan; electric scooters are rented everywhere, though a foreign licence does not cover you and the main road is busy with coaches. Set off early, carry water, and take the raft downstream one afternoon while somebody else does the work.