# Yangshuo travel guide (阳朔) Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region · South China, China · 11 places Canonical: https://cnatrip.com/en/destinations/guangxi-zhuang/yangshuo ## Quick itinerary - **Day 1:** West Street (Xijie) → Ten-Mile Gallery → Longjing River Rafting - **Day 2:** Yansha Aviation Camp → Moon Hill → Shiwai Taoyuan ## 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. ## The feel of the place 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. ## 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** — (Panbei Road, Yangshuo County Town, 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** — (2nd floor, large viewing terrace, 2 Chengzhong Road, West Street, 13878389832) - **Hongxing Express** — A 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. (Building 2, Lane 5, Shenshan Road, Yangshuo County, 13788435455) ## 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. (39 Qianjie, Yangshuo County, Guilin, 13077647496) ## 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. ## 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. (64 Bilian Alley, West Street, 19151632271) ## Things to see - **Impression Liu Sanjie** (★★★★★): Admission ¥278–888; Time needed 1–2 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/impression-liu-sanjie - **West Street (Xijie)** (★★★★): Time needed 1–3 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/west-street-xijie - **Ten-Mile Gallery** (★★★★): Admission Free; individual sights along the way require separate tickets; Opening hours 9：00—18：00; Time needed 2 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/ten-mile-gallery - **Longjing River Rafting** (★★★★): Admission ¥228 (includes the Yangshuo shuttle bus ticket); Time needed 2–4 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/longjing-river-rafting - **Yulong River** (★★★★): Admission Rafting charged by section, ¥45–358; Time needed 2–5 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/yulong-river - **Yansha Aviation Camp** (★★★): Admission Standard tickets: hot-air balloon ¥119; paraglider ¥425 (please refer to actual charges); Opening hours 8:30–12:00 (hot-air balloon), 14:30–18:00 (hot-air balloon); Time needed 1–2 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/yansha-aviation-camp - **Shangri-La Scenic Area (Shiwai Taoyuan)** (★★★): Admission ¥60; Opening hours 8：00—17：30; Time needed 1–2 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/shangri-la-scenic-area-shiwai-taoyuan - **Moon Hill** (★★★): Admission Combined ticket for Giant Banyan Tree and Moon Hill: ¥26; Opening hours 8：00—17：30; Time needed 1–2 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/moon-hill - **Giant Banyan Tree** (★★★★): Admission Combined ticket for Giant Banyan Tree and Moon Hill: ¥26; Opening hours 8：00—17：30; Time needed 1–2 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/giant-banyan-tree - **Xianggong Hill** (★★★): Admission ¥60; Opening hours 6：00—18：00; Time needed 2–3 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/xianggong-hill ## Day trips & beyond - **Huangyao Ancient Town** (★★★★): Admission ¥88; Opening hours 7：30—21：30; Time needed 0.5–1 day — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/huangyao-ancient-town --- Source: China Self-Guided Travel 2025 (《中国自助游》, Tianjin Science & Technology Press, Aug 2024), pp. 2438–2449. Prices, hours and transport details are as printed in the August 2024 edition and may have changed. Always confirm with the venue before you travel.