Yangshuo Holidays

A relaxing cruise down the River Li brings visitors to Yangshuo. To get to Yangshuo, cruise boats pass an endless procession of karst limestone peaks (some with crazy names) and simple villages along approximately an 80km course. At low tide during certain times of the year, cruises will generally commence downstream at Zhujiang where water levels will better support the cruisers that ply the river route.

In addition to the stunning scenery, local fishermen use trained cormorants to catch fish. When the bird has made a catch, the fisherman pulls the bird in and retrieves the fish from the bird’s beak. A collar on the bird prevents the act of swallowing. Every 5-6 catches the bird is rewarded with a fish. Local village boys also generally paddle out to the riverboats with all manner of souvenirs.

Nestled 70km south of Guilin in the midst of China’s most awesome karst limestone scenery, Yangshuo (meaning ‘Bright Moon’) is an appealing town. Stepping off the cruise vessel, most visitors pass gaggles of souvenir hawkers with stalls piled high with Mao and Beijing Olympic memorabilia, fake coins, music CDs, fancy-name ski jackets, ‘genuine’ copy souvenirs and watches, and Chinese calligraphy sets. In Yangshuo proper the town’s main street Xi Jie, a cobble-stoned thoroughfare, is lined with all manner of little eateries serving Chinese and Western favourites. If feeling adventurous, Bilian Feng and Yangshuo Gangyuan are two karst peaks of some 100m height that can be climbed.