Rural China at its Spectacular Best

Slowly floating down the Yulong River on a bamboo raft - how relaxing!!
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The week that we spent in Yangshuo was one of the best (if not THE best) part of our month in China, and our B&B/Hostel was the best part of Yangshuo (PLEASE read the seperate review in this entry - it is a one-of-a-kind place) - not just for all the reasons listed in our review but most especially because of the superb people we met and the great friends we made whilst there.  A big 'Shout Out' here to Dawn & Sean; Ed & Jen; Roser, Siqui & Gilliam; Jose & Essun, Fiona & Rob and everyone else (who I am sorry for not naming individually but the blog would overflow!) - welcome to our Travel Journal by the way!

Incredible landscape - the thumb hill!
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Yangshuo is a very small village (relative to the rest of China with its more than 160 cities of more than 1 million people) but it has been a centre of tourist activity for more than 1000 years.  Locals love to send their children here when they graduate as a congratulations gift - but increasingly it has become one of the must-see parts of China for 'foreign friends' as well - and no wonder.  There is so much to see and experience in the area that we will let the photos speak pretty much for themselves.

A Week of the Very Best in China

Cooling off in the water
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One reason for its popularity with visitors is that Yangshuo and its activities and sights are about as 'rural' and 'countryside' as most foreigners ever experience in China.  Rice-paddies to cycle past, caves to explore, river to ride on local bamboo rafts, cultural shows and Cormorant Fishing - all set on the banks of two of the most beautiful rivers in China - the Li and the Yulong - and framed by the karts peaks like nowhere else on Earth.

In addition to all the great activities offered by our hostel/B&B (read about them in the review) we would strongly recommend the following as a list of must-do's in Yangshuo:

We are not the only ones!
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1. Wandering the two major streets of the town by day and by night:  West Street and Chinese Street operate almost all of the major shops in town.  By day you can sample the massage offerings (I combined this with a haircut - not the best ever but lots of fun), brave the fresh food markets (which DO include almost every animal you can imagine - including dogs - we saw 20 in a cage ready for slaughter with one already cooked and partially carved hanging on a meat hook), and rent bikes (only 5 Yuan per day, no deposit required).  By night you can haggle at the night markets (make your opening offer one tenth of theirs and never go higher than one fifth), nibble on local snacks and just soak up the lights and sounds.
2. Attend one of the two nightly performances of the Sanjie Liu "Impression" lightshow:  Directed by one of China's best movie directors (the same one who is heading the Olympic Opening Ceremony show for Beijing 2008) this live show features over 600 locals as performers on the river itself, has been through 109 revisions, boasts 67 design artists, 12 karts mountain peaks all illuminated to music and 1.65 square kilometers of the Li River as its stage!  It was the best live show I have ever seen and took 5.5 years to prepare.  At 150 Yuan per person including taxi transfer it was worth every cent!
3. Hike up Moon Hill:  You can either rent bikes and ride here (about 30 minutes taking it easy) or you can combine this with bamboo rafting (see below) by taking bikes to the Yulong river, rafting to the bridge (with the bikes aboard) and then cycling the last 10 minutes to the hill.  Named because of the unusual circular hole through the hill at its top this can be a bit of a sweaty climb up a few hundred stairs but the view is SO worth the effort.  Don't make the mistake of stopping at the top - go behind the crest and walk the last 10 minutes right onto the actual top of the moon - the vista is unbeatable!
4. Try the local food specialities:  Yanshuo Mifen (rice noodles in soup) and Beer Fish are important parts of the Yangshuo experience!  There are tons of places all over town but our favourite was just before the bridge over the Yulong that leads to Moon Hill.
5. Ride the River - Bamboo style: On both the Li and Yulong Rivers you can find locals willing to pole you up or down the rivers on sturdy bamboo rafts (seats for 2 passengers and room for bikes).  Take the time to jump off and swim to cool down, enjoy the awesome and relaxing scenery (you even have an umbrella over you) and plunge down the small "waterfalls" - just try not to get caught by the locals at each waterfall with digicams and printers who snap your face and try to sell you the pics as you pass.
6. Take Some 'Dirty' Pics:  Very nearby to Moon Hill is the ticket office for the Real Water Cave (beware the many imitations).  Your ticket (half price through our hostel/B&B) gets you the 30 minute bus ride to the cave (set high in the hills) and a guide who leads you through the caverns.  Rock formations with names like Lotus Flower Seat, Monk Makes Love to Girl, Big Jelly Fish and Gold Hill are all star attractions.  Not as touristy as the caves in Guilin and much more fun the BEST part is the large underground mud pool fed by a constant steam of clean mud (oxymoron?).  You can strip down to your swimsuit (be warned it will NEVER get totally clean again) and jump in.  The mud is dense so you float with ease and can have superb 'Dirty Pics' snapped by the locals for a mere 10 Yuan each (or take them of each other for free!)  The natural mudslide is also a must (you have showers and change-areas too so no worries there).  The underground swimming pools (VERY cold) round out the trip.  Be warned, the so-called 80m waterfall is not a real one - just another rock formation.
7.  Take a Rural Bike Ride:  No trip to Yangshuo is ever complete without a ride out into the surrounding villages and rice paddies.  Get lost and find your way back - its all part of the charm and the roads are really quite good and flat.
8. Let off Some Hot Air:  For 700 Yuan you can view it all from the air by silent Hot Air Balloon.  We didn't do this ourselves (too expensive) but had great reports from those who did.  Aim for early evening - not so hot and super photo light.