Why go
The Li River's karst towers were laid down as coral on a tropical sea bed, then uplifted and sculpted by water. What remains is a landscape so ordered it looks designed — which is why it has decorated Chinese currency, paintings and poetry for centuries.
The boat cruise is the classic: four hours, air-conditioned, with the best scenery in the middle hour around Xingping. The budget-and-adventure version replaces the boat with a bamboo raft and a bicycle.
- The 20-yuan-note view at Xingping — match your banknote to the mountains
- The cruise from Zhujiang Pier to Yangshuo
- Raft or bicycle the riverbank instead for the quiet version
- Cormorant fishing demonstrations in the evening
Practical tips
Water level matters — after a dry spell the shallow sections are skipped by the big boats. The 20-yuan photo point at Xingping is free and easy from the village. On the cruise, sit on the top deck despite the sun; the views are the whole point.
Route
The standard pairing: cruise downriver to Yangshuo in the morning, spend the afternoon cycling the Yulong valley, and stay overnight in Yangshuo — which is a better base than Guilin for the surrounding scenery.
Getting there
- Cruise departs from Zhujiang Pier, ~45 min from Guilin; rafts near Xingping
- Length
- 83 km (Guilin–Yangshuo)
- Currency
- Pictured on the ¥20 note
- Status
- UNESCO (South China Karst)
