Slow down among Yangshuo’s karst villages

Yangshuo, in Guangxi, sits on the Li River south of Guilin, in the landscape of green limestone peaks that appears on China’s 20 yuan note. Most visitors see it from a boat or from the town’s streets. This experience is about stopping longer, in the villages and countryside around it.

What the experience is

Base yourself outside the town, in or near a village such as Xingping, Chaolong or the area around Moon Hill, and let the days be slow. The lanes between the paddy fields are made for cycling and walking, with the peaks standing up behind and a village or market every few kilometres. The Li River cruise from Guilin, a scenic journey of about four hours, can be the entry or the exit. In spring and early summer the fields are flooded and reflect the hills; in autumn they turn gold. The Longji rice terraces, two to two and a half hours north of Guilin, make a good side trip.

Where you stay shapes the experience. A small number of family-run guesthouses survive in the villages, where the owners live on site and run the place themselves, though this kind of hospitality is becoming rarer as families rent buildings to outside operators. Ask who runs the guesthouse and choose a place where the host is on hand. Local food includes Guilin rice noodles, beer fish and stuffed Li River snails.

When to go

Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) are the best windows for comfortable temperatures. Mist during rainy periods gives the hills the look of a traditional ink painting.

Getting there

Guilin is the gateway, with an airport and high-speed rail from Guangzhou in about two and a half to three hours, from Nanning in about one and a half to two, and from Hong Kong West Kowloon in around three and a half. Yangshuo is a short onward transfer.

Why OKYTO recommends it

Because the landscape is best understood at village pace. A few days outside the town, on a bicycle or on foot, show a Yangshuo that most day visitors never see.