Yangshuo

The limestone towers of the Li river valley are among the most reproduced landscapes in China, printed on the twenty yuan note in the view from Xingping, and Yangshuo is the town people base themselves in to be among them. The classic approach is the boat down from Guilin, four or five hours through the peaks; from Yangshuo the country is explored by bicycle, on bamboo raft down the smaller Yulong river, or by climbing, since the walls here made Yangshuo the birthplace of Chinese sport climbing with hundreds of bolted routes. Villages, rice fields and moon-shaped rock arches fill the space between the towers.

History

The area has been lived in for about 3,000 years, and Yangshuo County was set up in 590 under Emperor Wen of Sui, when the town already had a street five metres wide and 200 metres long, the start of today's West Street. Domestic tourism was common by the 1970s, foreign backpackers followed, and by 2005 foreign visitors outnumbered Chinese ones; the karst crags around the town, Moon Hill above all, became famous for rock climbing (Wikipedia, Yangshuo County).

What to look for

• The Li river peaks - the towers along the river between Guilin and Yangshuo.
• The Yulong river rafting - bamboo rafts on the quieter tributary.
• The cycling country - lanes through fields between the karst.
• The climbing - hundreds of bolted routes on the limestone walls.

When to go

April to October, with the river highest and greenest from April to June; autumn is drier and clearer. Winter is cool with low water that can cut boat trips short. Holidays are extremely busy.

Things to know

West Street in town is loud and commercial. Boat and raft trips are tightly controlled and priced, with rafts often limited to short set sections. Haze frequently softens the peaks.

Nearby

Guilin lies north; Xingping village is upriver.