Guilin is the home of some of China's most notable scenery.
Limestone Karst Peaks surrounf Guilin
A Cruise down the Li River (Li Jiang)
Zhu Fa (Bamboo raft) ride on the YuLong River
Waterfall in YangShuo
The Oldest Turtle in the world?
Formations in Silver Caves
Elephant Hill in Guilin
Night time on the Guilin Waterways
Exploring the region of the Li River between Guilin and Yangshuo is getting to know the iconic landscape literally inside and out. Most tours start with a 4-5 hour riverboat cruise down the Li River. These large flat bottom boats are made for the shallow river and typically have an upper deck and serve lunch from a kitchen hung on the back.
After seeing the landscape from the river view, you can then proceed to one of the cave attractions to view them from the inside. The use of well designed lighting and well placed walkways or other conveyance's make these cave visits a must on your Guilin tour (unless of course you are claustrophobic.) The Silver Cave has the best natural formations while the Crown Caves has the Guinness World record for the most types of conveyances in a cave.
The Karst peals are mostly surrounded by bamboo forests at the river level. Being a naturally abundant material and basically long hollow tubes, it should not be surprising that they are made into river rafts of all sizes and purposes. On the YuLong He tributary of the Li River you can take a ride on one and relax as you are poled along by a singing raftsman.
Then, haven seen the landscape from inside and the river level, it is time to climb some and see them from the top. GuDong Falls is a well done attraction that even lets you walk up the waterfalls on a hot day.
Finally, now that you are familiar with the physical landscape, it is time to enjoy one of the best shows in China, Impressions, as it takes all this as a backdrop for a spectacular showcasing the local ethnic culture.
