Guilin + Yangshuo + Longji Rice Terraces · 5 days

declarationGuilin (Standard Zhuang: Gveilinz), formerly romanized as Kweilin, is a prefecture-level city in the northeast of China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. It is situated on the west bank of the Li River and borders Hunan to the north. Its name means “forest of sweet osmanthus”, owing to the large number of fragrant sweet osmanthus trees located in the region. The city has long been renowned for its scenery of karst topography.

Guilin is one of China’s most popular tourist destinations, and the epithet “By water, by mountains, most lovely, Guilin” (山水甲天下) is often associated with the city. The State Council of China has designated Guilin a National Famous Historical and Cultural City, doing so in the first edition of the list.

The Longji Rice Terraces (“Dragon’s Backbone”) (simplified Chinese: 龙脊梯田; traditional Chinese: 龍脊梯田; pinyin: lóngjǐ tītián), also called the Longsheng Rice Terraces (“Dragon’s Victory”) (simplified Chinese: 龙胜梯田; traditional Chinese: 龍勝梯田; pinyin: lóngshèng tītián), are located in the town of Longji in Longsheng Various Nationalities Autonomous County, about 100 kilometres (62 mi) from Guilin, China. Planning note: Ping’an and Jinkeng are alternative terrace bases, not a promise to complete both plus the waterfall. Choose one area and confirm local transfers; allow extra time for uphill paths.

The terraced fields are built along the slope winding from the riverside up to the mountain top, between 600 and 800 metres (2,000 and 2,600 ft) above sea level. A coiling terrace line that starts from the mountain foot up to the mountain top divides the mountain into layers of water in spring, layers of green rice shoots in summer, layers of rice in fall, and layers of frost in winter. The terraced fields were mostly built about 650 years ago.

Longji (Dragon’s Backbone) Terraced Rice Fields received their name because the rice terraces resemble a dragon’s scales, while the summit of the mountain range looks like the backbone of the dragon.

The paddies change from water-filled terraces to green growth and harvest colours through the agricultural year. The exact irrigation and planting dates vary by village and season; check locally before planning around a particular appearance.

The Li River or Li Jiang (Chinese: 漓江; pinyin: Lí Jiāng) is the name for the upper reaches of the Gui River in northeastern Guangxi, China. It is part of the Xijiang River system in the Pearl River basin, flowing 164 kilometres (102 mi) from Xing’an County to Pingle County. Planning note: A full Li River cruise plus cycling and Yulong rafting is an ambitious combination. Put the confirmed cruise first and move cycling or rafting to another day. Raft routes and age/height/safety rules must be checked with the operator.

Tourist rafting boats cruise from Yangshuo County, on the Li River
The upper course of the Li River is connected by an ancient Lingqu canal with the Xiang River, which flows north into the Yangtze; this in the past made the Li and Gui Rivers part of a highly important waterway connecting the Yangtze valley with the Pearl delta.

The 439-kilometre (273 mi) course of the Li and Gui Rivers is flanked by green hills. Cormorant fishing is often associated with the Lijiang.

Cruises on the Li are famous, attracting millions of visitors per year.

Yangshuo County (simplified Chinese: 阳朔县; traditional Chinese: 陽朔縣; pinyin: Yángshuò Xiàn) is a county under the jurisdiction of Guilin City, in the northeast of Guangxi, China. Planning note: The slash-separated caves and peaks are choices. Pick one additional attraction around the bridge or mountain visit rather than trying to visit all of them.

In the 1980s, the county became popular with foreign visitors engaging in backpacker tourism, and organized tours began by the late 1990s. At the time, domestic tourists represented only a small fraction of the county’s visitors, but they outnumbered foreign tourists by 2005. Today, the county is a resort destination for both domestic and foreign travelers.

The history of West Street dates back over 1,400 years ago. Since the street is popular with locals and foreigners alike, signs are written in both Chinese and English. Some tourism businesses offer English assistance, but keep Chinese place names and offline translation available.

The Yangshuo region has numerous locations for climbing, and they are accessible by bicycle, public bus, or taxi van. The most famous of these crags is Moon Hill, which has several lines graded 5.13 in the Yosemite scale. Other crags of note include Low Mountain, Twin Gates, Baby Frog, the Egg, Bamboo Grove, and Wine Bottle Cliff.

The Elephant Trunk Hill (Chinese: 象鼻山; pinyin: Xiàngbí Shān) is a hill, landmark and tourist attraction in Guilin, Guangxi, China.

Elephant Trunk Hill is the symbol of the city of Guilin. It got its name because it looks like an elephant drinking water. The round opening that would be under the elephant’s trunk is known as Water-Moon Cave because at night the reflection of the moon can be seen through the arch and it looks as if it is under the water and floating on the surface of the water at the same time. Elephant Trunk Hill and Water-Moon Cave are located at the confluence of the Taohua River and the Lijiang River.