Yangshuo travel guide
阳朔
Yangshuo has irresistible charm and a strong foreign flavour. Anyone in Yangshuo, from elderly people in their seventies and eighties to children aged seven or eight, can speak at least a few words of fluent English.…
11 places · In the guidebook: pages 2438–2449
Yangshuo, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region · AI illustration for China Trip
Quick itinerary
Yangshuo in 2 days
The feel of the place
- Foreigners' Street
- Yangshuo has irresistible charm and a strong foreign flavour. Anyone in Yangshuo, from elderly people in their seventies and eighties to children aged seven or eight, can speak at least a few words of fluent English. The atmosphere on West Street is somewhat like Sanlitun in Beijing. Its bars blend the best of Chinese and Western cultures, and even if you only drink tea rather than alcohol, you will understand what true enjoyment is there.
No Bike, No Yangshuo: you can get around Yangshuo by car or by boat, but the most thrilling way is by bicycle. Even if time is short, rent a bike and wander around, or the trip will feel incomplete. The sights in Yangshuo are only about 10 kilometres apart, so cycling is the most exhilarating, enjoyable and economical way to tour, and it is especially suited to young people.
Bus Tips
It is best to take the bus from Guilin Bus Terminal, which runs non-stop directly to Yangshuo. Buses that touts solicit outside may wander around picking up passengers along the way, which drags on for a long time and delays your itinerary.
Buying Tickets
1. Guesthouse purchase: Your guesthouse can buy tickets for the show Impressions · Liu Sanjie for you. Tickets bought through locals usually cost ¥120–140.
2. Beware of cheap tickets: Never trust so-called discount tickets (¥30–60). They will take you to a small hillside at a 20-degree angle to the main stage, or to other places with poor views of the show.
Preparation and Enquiries
Language
The local dialect is Guilin-Liuzhou dialect, but most people can converse in Mandarin and Cantonese, and many also speak English.
Things to see
1. For the live show Impression · Liu Sanjie, the appeal lies in its sheer scale, so sit higher up, at least from row 14. During Golden Week, there are two shows each evening.
Impression Liu Sanjie
1–2 hours · ¥278–888
The large-scale live-action show “Impression Liu Sanjie” is the core project of the Yangshuo “Jinxiu Lijiang · Liu Sanjie Song Fair” scenic area. Directed by renowned Chinese director Zhang Yimou as chief director, it brings together the Li River landscape, the culture of Guangxi's ethnic minorities and the work of leading Chinese artists. It is China's first live-action landscape show of a completely new concept.
Yulong River
2–5 hours · Rafting charged by section, ¥45–358
Yulong River is known as the “Little Li River.” Visitors remember most the sense of stillness here, as if every movement might disturb the surrounding beauty. Unlike the Li River rafting, the bamboo rafts here have no motors and are poled entirely by hand, and there are noticeably fewer rafters than on the Li River, so the experience feels authentic and largely free of commercial bustle. It also differs from the thrills and danger of Longjing River; here the pursuit is tranquility, free from distraction.
West Street (Xijie)
West Street is not large — just a 200-metre stone-paved pedestrian street — yet this small patch of land is world-famous. Foreigners are everywhere on West Street, offering plenty of chances to practise your English listening. It is best known for its bars, which are full of exotic flavour. Some feel it is too bustling and noisy, and that commercialisation has developed too rapidly; opinions on this naturally vary.
1–3 hours
Ten-Mile Gallery
From Yangshuo county town, head south along Guili Highway all the way to the banks of the Tianjia River. The road is lovely throughout, with pastoral scenery as poetic as a painting, which is why it is known as the Ten-Mile Gallery. Many attractions line this route, including the Giant Banyan Tree, Moon Hill and Butterfly Spring, making it a must-visit in Yangshuo. Most visitors rent a bicycle to ride there, and the scenery is sure not to disappoint.
2 hours · Free; individual sights along the way require separate tickets
Longjing River Rafting
This rafting trip suits young people best. Its thrills and dangers have earned high praise, and it is known as “the first rafting ride under heaven for brave souls.” The route includes about five major drops, all extremely dangerous and nearly vertical. Rubber rafts and riders plunge down the rapids, so it is less rafting than falling, and occasionally boats even capsize. Since you will get completely soaked, it is only suitable for summer.
2–4 hours · ¥228 (includes the Yangshuo shuttle bus ticket)
Giant Banyan Tree
This is the filming location of the film Liu Sanjie, and it is famous far and wide for a thousand-year-old banyan that grows here. The Giant Banyan Tree stands 17 metres tall and is about 1,500 years old. Its roots twist and intertwine, so a single tree forms a whole forest, rising from the earth like a huge mushroom cloud.
1–2 hours · Combined ticket for Giant Banyan Tree and Moon Hill: ¥26
Yansha Aviation Camp
Yangshuo Yansha Aviation Flight Camp lies on the banks of the Yulong River and is one of the largest aviation flight camps in China, covering 196 mu. Hot-air balloon sightseeing flights rise 30–80 metres (depending on the weather) and carry up to five passengers. Seeing the world from a godlike perspective, you can look down on the beautiful Yulong River; with fresh air and a blue sky, the experience is truly uplifting. Friendly reminder: the hot-air balloon stays aloft for about 7–8 minutes.
1–2 hours · Standard tickets: hot-air balloon ¥119; paraglider ¥425 (please refer to actual charges)
Shangri-La Scenic Area (Shiwai Taoyuan)
Just hearing the name conjures up the leisurely life described in Tao Yuanming's “A Peach Blossom Spring.” Although the scenery here is enticing, Guilin has no shortage of picturesque landscapes. The views at Shiwai Taoyuan are rather artificially landscaped and cannot compare with the Li River or Yulong River in their natural state. Still, some recommend that after the upstream boat trip and landing, you visit Xiuqiu Tower across the hills to sing mountain songs and toss embroidered balls, which adds a distinctive flavour.
1–2 hours · ¥60
Moon Hill
Moon Hill lies within Gaotian Township, with simple, elegant and tranquil scenery. On the hilltop stands a natural great stone arch, open through on both sides, which from afar looks just like a bright moon hanging in the sky. Viewed from different angles, the shape of the arch keeps changing. As you drive past Moon Hill, the arch seems to transform from a crescent moon into a half moon and then a full moon, before waning again — remarkably wondrous.
1–2 hours · Combined ticket for Giant Banyan Tree and Moon Hill: ¥26
Xianggong Hill
The banks of the Li River nurture the most typical karst landforms, and Xianggong Hill is a representative karst peak. Its light and shadow, seas of cloud, sunrises and rosy glows attract many photographers, and some have won international film festival awards for works shot here. In fact, climbing Xianggong Hill to gaze into the distance reveals mountains hazy and rolling, with the winding Li River in full view, like an ink-wash painting. Even ordinary visitors can snap stunning photos with just a casual click.
2–3 hours · ¥60
Getting there & around
Getting There and Away
For transport to and from Yangshuo, see the Li River section of this guide.
tip: 1. Guilin → Yangshuo: The high-speed train from Guilin to Yangshuo takes just over 20 minutes, with fares of ¥22–29. Trains depart from Guilin Station, Guilin North Station and Guilin West Station, so check which station your train leaves from when buying tickets to avoid going to the wrong one. Yangshuo Station is quite far from the county town, but it is closer to scenic spots such as Xingping Old Town, Jiuma Huashan, Lianhua Rock and Tianshui Village. Yangshuo High-Speed Rail Special Line 2 (阳朔高铁专2线) runs from the station directly to Xingping Town. The Guilin Long-Distance Bus Station (桂林汽车总站) also runs direct minibuses to Yangshuo, a journey of about 80 minutes with fares of around ¥25.
2. Fare increases: Long-distance bus fares rise across the board by ¥20–30 during public holidays.
3. Other: The Yangshuo high-speed rail station opened in 2016, greatly reducing travel time for visitors. Today, major southern cities including Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Guizhou, Chengdu and Zhuhai all have direct high-speed and bullet trains to Yangshuo. Visitors from northern cities need to travel to Guilin first and then transfer to a train to Yangshuo. You can also take a long-distance bus; there are overnight sleeper coaches to Yangshuo from Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Wuzhou and other cities.
Yangshuo Coach Station
Getting There and Away- Address:
- Panbei Road, Yangshuo County Town
- Phone:
- 0773-8822188
Eat & drink
The most enjoyable thing to do in Yangshuo is to eat local snacks at the flavourful open-air food stalls, or to spend an evening in one of West Street's distinctive bars.
Shanse Western Restaurant
Shanse Western Restaurant- Address:
- 2nd floor, large viewing terrace, 2 Chengzhong Road, West Street
- Phone:
- 13878389832
- ¥
- Average ¥85 per person
- Opening hours:
- 9：00—24：00
Hongxing Express
Shanse Western RestaurantA top choice among travellers: its pizzas are cheap, thin and crispy, and generously topped. The guestbook is said to fill several dozen volumes, a sign of how popular it is. Recommended: mixed-topping pizza, black pepper steak and tuna pizza.
- Address:
- Building 2, Lane 5, Shenshan Road, Yangshuo County
- Phone:
- 13788435455
- ¥
- Average ¥44 per person
- Opening hours:
- 11：00—22：00
Where to stay
West Street is highly recommended for accommodation: the entire street is lined with private guesthouses, and they're inexpensive. Around Zhongshan Middle Road there are many hotels, which are convenient for transport, shopping, buying books, going online and dining, and they're close to the sights.
Weiyang Time Guesthouse
Ideally located, with Yangshuo Park and the Ten-Mile Picture Gallery nearby, as well as plenty of restaurants and shops.
- Address:
- 64 Bilian Alley, West Street
- Phone:
- 19151632271
Shopping
Yangshuo has plenty of quirky and unusual things for sale, its handicrafts are highly artistic, and its clothing features distinctive ethnic styles.
West Street has many small shops selling antiques and handicrafts. Tibetan-style jewellery and home décor are the most popular, and you should always bargain. Four CD shops on West Street hold almost the complete range of foreign-language records, so if you're a music fan, they're worth a browse for hidden finds.
Nightlife
Yangshuo's charm lies not only in its daytime scenery but also in its nighttime delights.
Magpie Bar
A traditional three-storey wooden building with a rustic, nostalgic exterior and an interior decorated with vintage vinyl records. The bar is small but very artsy. The live band is excellent, and their reworked songs have real flavour.
- Address:
- 39 Qianjie, Yangshuo County, Guilin
- Phone:
- 13077647496
- Opening hours:
- 19:30–2:00 (next day)
Day trips & beyond
Source: China Self-Guided Travel 2025 (《中国自助游》, Tianjin Science & Technology Press, Aug 2024), pp. 2438–2449. Translated from the Chinese edition; names and prices follow the guidebook. · Plain text version