China Travel

West Street (Xi Jie) is Yangshuo's primary tourist magnet. Its cobbled streets, wooden shop fronts and laziness inducing restaurants are bursting with a quaint charm that attracts visitors from around the globe. Although recently renovated to cope with the ever-increasing tourist foot and bicycle traffic, the street still retains its original Sui Dynasty (581 – 618) characteristics. At first glance West Street is a shopper's paradise, packed to overflowing with trinkets, Mao memorabilia, Tintin t-shirts whose collars expand further with every wash, fake CDs, bamboo majiang (mah jong) sets, old coins with or without square holes, and the list goes on. Look a little closer and real treasure of West Street is revealed—its laid-back restaurants and cafes are a great place to spend an idle afternoon basking in the warm sun. You'll find that most restaurateurs and wait-staff... more »

Yueliang Shan (Moon Hill) is one of the geographical oddities unique to Guilin prefecture—mountains with holes through the middle.  The hill is located about 15 minutes' drive from Yangshuo, but biking there should take less than an hour as roads are mostly flat. Photos of the hill taken from a high vantage point tend to do it more justice than the view from the road. If you stop for a photo at the foot before entering the gate, be prepared to be approached by brash locals demanding money for the picture you took of "their mountain". A climb to the top of Yueliang Shan involves about 800 steps and should take the average climber 1 to 2 hours. There is an alternative route to the summit plotted by local rock climbing companies. Those wishing to climb the aptly named "Moonwalker" route should book in Yangshuo before heading to the hill. As with many l... more »

Impression of Liu Sanjie is effectively a large-scale musical production, with the river as a stage and the limestone peaks of Shutong Mountain as the backdrop. Featuring a cast of more than 500—primarily locals—the show tells the tale of the life of Liu Sanjie, legendary Yangshuo heroine.   Story has it Liu Sanjie, already well known about town for her good looks and beautiful singing voice, turned her talents to ridiculing a greedy landlord with tricky riddles in the form of melodious songs. Thereby causing him to lose face and dashing his evil plans to further raise already inflated taxes, all the while managing to garner the affections of local heartthrob A-Niuge.    The hour long show is the result of more than 2 years of direction and preparation by renowned film-maker Zhang Yimo, who is responsible for such Chinese classics as Farewell My Concu... more »

Between Guilin and Yangshuo in the Yanshan area of Guangxi is China's gateway to contemporary art and sculpture—Yuzi Paradise (Yuzi Leyuan - translation "I myself, a stupid person, am amusing myself"). The park consists mainly of large-scale landscape art and sculpture. There are displays from around the world, more than 200 artists from 47 different countries have contributed their works to park. Stone carvings, metal sculptures, pottery, bronze work, prints, glass and wood carvings can be seen scattered about the park's beautifully maintained grounds. There are also seven major studios with artists at work drawing inspiration from surrounding karst formations and the unique scenery of Guilin. Yuzi Paradise is the initiative of Taiwanese entrepreneur Mr. Rhy-Chang Tsao, whose grand vision for the park have only just begun to be realized. Construction on Yuzi ... more »

Over the years since its first mention in popular guide books, Yangshuo has grown increasingly more popular with tourists from both China and around the globe. This popularity is evident in the constant stream of holidaymakers arriving into town via the bus station or Li River Cruise. If you find yourself annoyed by the crowds, inflated prices or banana/Buddha peddlers, head to Xingping. Xingping is similar to Yangshuo in many respects—karst pinnacles, old brick houses, the Li River, hotels and most everything you can see in Yangshuo—without the crowds. The Old Bridge, Ancient Ferries, Guting, the ancient stage, a temple, gnarled old trees and ancient buildings can all be found hidden around Xingping in alleys and long narrow roads. It is an excellent place to spend an afternoon exploring before enjoying local specialties such as Beer Fish or Home-style hot pot. A... more »

Best approached by boat from the Yulong River, Liugong Village is a quaint, if somewhat weatherbeaten, remnant of Qing-era China that at first glance doesn't seem to have changed much in the past century or so. The old lanes of the small village make for a pleasant stroll, and a village guide will gladly take you back a ways into the countryside to show you the local natural spring.  Decent food, ice cream and cold beer are to be had in the rough-and-ready but entirely pleasant open-air restaurant overlooking the Yulong River and a small flotiilla of rafts and houseboats.   more »

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Muddy fun is the name of the game. The garish billboard outside entrance to the Black Buddha New Water Caves (hei fo xin shui dong) promises the spectacle of groups of happy Chinese tourists splashing in underground pools, slathered in clay-like mud and chances are that's just what you're in store for.  There's no way to avoid the mud, so you might as well be prepared to join in the good-natured fun as you wade and boat and splash and slide through underground pools. Obviously, you'll want to dress for the occasion. We recommend an old swimming suit and a pair of sneakers with a decent grip sole.  The caves are lit and a long way from their original state, but the "Black Buddha" rock formation and other impressive shapes add a lot of beauty and a touch of the sublime to the splashing and slipping.  If you'd prefer to simply see the caves and avoid gettin... more »

Surrounded by a range of karst peaks that do indeed resemble a dragon (or dragons) circling up for the kill (or if they're friendly dragons, for the tea party), Assembling Dragons Cave is an impressive bit of Nature's handiwork. Stalagmites and stalactites inside the caves add to the suggestion of a dragons' lair, casting fantastic shadows against slick walls and clear underground pools. Some 1,000 meters deep and up opening up into 30-meter wide chambers with 25-meter ceilings, the caverns may be explored either by foot or by boat. Unlike other caves in China that have been outfitted with garish colored lights and made safe for high heel-wearing touring taitais and xiaojies with poured cement pathways, Assembling Dragon remains relatively unaltered, astonishing with its unearthly natural splendor alone.   Just six kilometers south of Yangshuo town, the cave opening si... more »

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