Picture impossibly steep hillsides rising from a valley of heavy mist teeming with songbirds, trees and vines. Perhaps you came across this scene before in traditional Chinese water colors the last time you visited a museum and like me thought, what an inspiring example of artistic license. If only a place as beautiful as that truly existed.
Well, it does exist, and its called Yangshuo, 65km south of the major city of Guilin in southern Chinas Guangxi Province. The Chinese have long been enamored with the natural beauty of this place. An ancient adage in China proclaims, “Guilin landscapes are the most beautiful of any in China but Yangshuo landscapes top even those of Guilin.” But Yangshuo was only popularized recently amongst foreign travelers in the 1980s by “Lonely Planet” guidebook recommendations which first drew the backpackers.

However, the features that dominate the horizon are the multitudinous limestone towers jutting straight up out of the valley. Yangshuo is the heart of “The Karst” which spans the southern Chinese provinces of Guangxi, Guizhou and Yunnan. So Yangshuo is the premier rock climbing destination in all of China, and the international climbing festival is held here every year. You can also tour many caves hidden below, including the Water Cave, complete with hot springs and natural mud baths.

The special geography provides it with eye-catching beauty while over 1,400 years of history imbue it with a deep traditional culture. The diverse ethnic minority groups found here include the Hui, Zhuang, Yao, Miao and others, who enrich Yangshuo with special folk cultures represented by their various festivals. Adding the many foreign residents to this creates a fascinating and diverse global community.

The Streets in Yangshuo are well kept in the original and ancient style. West Street is the most exciting one that locals call the “Global Village”. There are not only many foreign tourists, but also quite a number of foreign residents managing caf?s and restaurants, like Le Votre Restaurant owned by french brothers. So its easy to find ones favourite restaurants in vegetarian, Indian, Italy and French style, as well as the local style. Luckily, Yangshuo its also one of the cheapest with prices generally one-third that of southern Chinas coastal areas. The exotic flavors, combined with the traditional culture, make Yangshuo world famous.With no doubt, Yangshuo is one of the most laid-back towns in China.

After you have sampled the food, you can try any number of activities in town. It is said that you havent visited Yangshuo until you have cycled around the outskirts of the city. Or hop on a bamboo raft and float down the Li River or the Yulong River to watch the the green hills, skilky water and ancient bridges float by. This wide and slow moving river is also a great place for a swim to escape the hot summer sun. In the evening, you can take in the world-renowned light show “Impressions on Liu Sanjie”, Liu Sanjie is a fairy singer in the legend of the Zhuang minority group. The light show is directed by Chinas famed director Zhang Yimou who also organized the 2008 Summer OlympPicture impossibly steep hillsides rising from a valley of heavy mist teeming with songbirds, trees and vines. Perhaps you came across this scene before in traditional Chinese water colors the last time you visited a museum and like me thought, what an inspiring example of artistic license. If only a place as beautiful as that truly existed.
Well, it does exist, and its called Yangshuo, 65km south of the major city of Guilin in southern Chinas Guangxi Province. The Chinese have long been enamored with the natural beauty of this place. An ancient adage in China proclaims, “Guilin landscapes are the most beautiful of any in China but Yangshuo landscapes top even those of Guilin.” But Yangshuo was only popularized recently amongst foreign travelers in the 1980s by “Lonely Planet” guidebook recommendations which first drew the backpackers.

However, the features that dominate the horizon are the multitudinous limestone towers jutting straight up out of the valley. Yangshuo is the heart of “The Karst” which spans the southern Chinese provinces of Guangxi, Guizhou and Yunnan. So Yangshuo is the premier rock climbing destination in all of China, and the international climbing festival is held here every year. You can also tour many caves hidden below, including the Water Cave, complete with hot springs and natural mud baths.

The special geography provides it with eye-catching beauty while over 1,400 years of history imbue it with a deep traditional culture. The diverse ethnic minority groups found here include the Hui, Zhuang, Yao, Miao and others, who enrich Yangshuo with special folk cultures represented by their various festivals. Adding the many foreign residents to this creates a fascinating and diverse global community.

The Streets in Yangshuo are well kept in the original and ancient style. West Street is the most exciting one that locals call the “Global Village”. There are not only many foreign tourists, but also quite a number of foreign residents managing caf?s and restaurants, like Le Votre Restaurant owned by french brothers. So its easy to find ones favourite restaurants in vegetarian, Indian, Italy and French style, as well as the local style. Luckily, Yangshuo its also one of the cheapest with prices generally one-third that of southern Chinas coastal areas. The exotic flavors, combined with the traditional culture, make Yangshuo world famous.With no doubt, Yangshuo is one of the most laid-back towns in China.
After you have sampled the food, you can try any number of activities in town. It is said that you havent visited Yangshuo until you have cycled around the outskirts of the city. Or hop on a bamboo raft and float down the Li River or the Yulong River to watch the the green hills, skilky water and ancient bridges float by. This wide and slow moving river is also a great place for a swim to escape the hot summer sun. In the evening, you can take in the world-renowned light show “Impressions on Liu Sanjie”, Liu Sanjie is a fairy singer in the legend of the Zhuang minority group. The light show is directed by Chinas famed director Zhang Yimou who also organized the 2008 Summer Olympic Opening Ceremonies in Beijing.
Yangshuo is likely the most culturally diverse and laid-back town in China. The culture exchange industry here is flourishing. It is considered as the perfect place to teach English or climb and study Chinese language, Tai chi, cooking or art at the same time while still enjoying a quality holiday. We hope to see you here in Yangshuo soon. Safe travels!
Yangshuo is likely the most culturally diverse and laid-back town in China. The culture exchange industry here is flourishing. It is considered as the perfect place to teach English or climb and study Chinese language, Tai chi, cooking or art at the same time while still enjoying a quality holiday. We hope to see you here in Yangshuo soon. Safe travels!

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