Guilin & Yangshuo: Soaking in China’s Iconic Karst Scenery

The towering limestone peaks that rise from the plains surrounding Guilin have long inspired Chinese art and poetry. The Li River sails past bamboo groves and riverside villages where locals still fish with trained cormorants.

A cruise through the UNESCO-listed beauty of Guilin and Yangshuo takes you to the market town of Yangshuo, a less frenetic pace than Guilin, a great base from which to explore the surrounding countryside. Tucked away among the karst peaks you will find atmospheric villages like Fuli, where cobbled lanes and traditional workshops in fan-making can be found, either by boat ride to Fuli or an easy cycle ride.

When evening falls, it is worth watching cormorant fishermen in action or enjoying a meal next to the Yulong River. For the more active, the hinterland surrounding Guilin presents opportunities for longer cycling or trekking routes into the minority villages many kilometres from the regular tourist trail, to enjoy and experience landscapes that have inspired China for centuries.