Our Trip
In March, 2007 after a two-hour flight to Guilin in Southern China’s Guangxi Province we drove another hour-and-a-half to Yangshuo. Along the way one immediately notices hilltops popping up from nowhere – much like mushrooms in the forest. There appears to be no geological mountain ranges or other rational reason for these camel-shaped outcroppings which are really limestone karsts. These are the peaks and the rivers that run through them have long inspired Chinese poets and painters for centuries.
Upon arrival into Yangshuo what comes to mind is what the people in this town must have experienced over the past decades as this has become a top tourist destination in Southern China. While it has a small-town feeling to it, shops, bars and retail shops have sprung up to capture their share of the income tourism brings to the area.
Our destination – a hotel called the Yangshuo Mountain Retreat – just a few kilometers from the city offered stunning views of the Yu Long River, a tributary of the Li River. Located down a winding road and in between the karsts, the hotel’s location sat almost on the river and in between neighboring farms and small villages. It really had a “homey” feeling to it.
Locals would tie long trunks of bamboo trees together (about 15 feet long) and mount patio chairs or small benches that could accommodate two people. Standing behind his riders, the “captain,” along with his bamboo pushing stick would take riders down the river. Along the way were little waterfalls that had paths worn down by the river rafts as they floated downstream. The sensation was like sitting on top of a canoe in a garden chair as the cool river water rushed over your feet.
The hotel also had bicycles to rent and our family took a ride down the winding road into a valley where local farmers worked their crops and tended to their animals. We really felt as though we were transported backwards in time until we heard the all-familiar car and truck horns as they approached us from behind.
In addition to the river and hotel activities we ventured out to Dragon Cave in one of the karsts – it was huge with all kinds of beautiful waterfalls, rivers, stalactites and stalagmites throughou all adorned with colored lights along the paths. Although Scott and I thought this cave was a little “tacky, touristy”, our kids loved it.
On the final evening of our stay we attended the Impression of Liu Sanjia (Impression of the Three Sisters Liu). This outdoor amphitheatre amongst the karsts is located at the joining point of Lijiang River and Tianjia River, where the locals put on this amazing water and light show with as many people participating in the visual display as the thousands who sat in attendance. With the backdrop of karsts and the lightshows on them and the people on the water it was truly an amazing sight. This is a must do if visiting the area.
Fun Facts & Tips
Yangshuo is located in the north east part of Guangxi Province and Southeast of the city of Guilin. It’s know for it’s natural beauty and diverse ethnic minority groups and cultures that comes with over 1400 years of history. Many people come here to escape the pollution and noise from the bigger cities and just relax and enjoy the natural beauty that his area of China brings.
Make sure if the weather is good to take advantage of the Hot Air Balloon rides. For and hour to an hour ½ you can ride in a balloon as high as 1500 meters for a very reasonable price.
The second time we visited Yangshuo, the balloon rides were at the top of my list. But, before we arrived a family’s balloon crashed and killed four people, a tragedy that could have happened to anyone of us. The balloon rides were closed when we were there but, hopefully they will re-open when they become safer.
The Impressions Light Show takes place in the largest outdoor theater of it’s kind in the world. The backdrop is a beautiful natural setting utilizing 12 karsts situated at the meeting point of the Lijian and Tianjia Rivers which is also the stage. The show with over 600 local performers gives us a glimpse of what life is like on the river. The entire production is a brilliant design of music and lights incorporating the nature, on and surrounding the river. It’s outdoor auditorium seats 2200 people and every seat is a good one.
We never found good food in Yanghshuo, although I’m sure it exists. The retreat we stayed at made a pretty good pizza though.
I would have also enjoyed visiting some of the many diverse ethnic minority villages and rice terraces that exist around the area.
Second time we did the rice terraces and they were fantastic! I think it would be beautiful anytime of the year you choose to go here. Plan to spend most of the day here and take some snacks for the three+ hour ride to the hotel in Yangshuo. We flew into Guilin around 10:00am and arrived at our hotel after 6:00 that evening. It was a long fun day.
Make sure you rent bikes for a day. There is lots to see and many opportunities to get lost in the countryside.
I’ve combined pictures of both trips for you to peruse if you’d like. You’ll notice the sunny days and new camera are from our 2nd trip and the cloudy days and cheap camera our 1st.
Welcome to Yangshuo, China
View from Hotel in the early morning.
Rafting on the Dragon River.
Trip #2 to Yangshuo!
Ok, so that was our first trip to Yangshuo. Our second trip was in November, 2009 when we went with four other families and stayed at the same hotel. The hotel had gone through major renovations making it 100% more enjoyable this time around. The weather was perfect and we added a couple new excursions to the mix. There were 11 kids and they all had a blast jumping the stones across the river and looking for fish. I want to go back next year!!
We spent Thanksgiving weekend and the hotel went out of their way to make sure we had a traditional Thanksgiving dinner of turkey, dressing, gravy, cranberry sauce and cheesecake for desert. It was fabulous. This time we visited the Longji Rice Terraces.
To get to these mountain villages and see the rice terraces your best bet is to go straight from the airport as it’s a two hour drive north of Guilin. (The hotel is 1.5 hours south of Guilin.) It’s a long drive but well worth the trip as once you arrive, its just breathtaking as you see miles and miles of rice terraces built into the hillsides. These terraces were built about 500 years ago.
We also went rock climbing this trip. We organized it through China Climb an organization that plans adventure activities for all ages. We were really impressed how they managed to ensure 8 kids and 8 adults had a great time rock climbing. I would highly recommend this organization. . I had more fun watching the kids then actually climbing. All the kids did a great job and loved every minute of it.
