The Beauty of Yangshuo County
If you love to travel and see beautiful scenery then you must consider to visit Yangshuo County, it offers you breathtakingly beautiful scenery. Characterized by crystal clear rivers, limestone crags, lush vegetation, traditional Chinese architecture and customs.
Yangshuo County is a country in Guilin, Guangxi Province, China. Surrounded by karst peaks and bordered on one side by the Li River. Yangshuo country has a population about 300,000 consist of different ethnic groups such as Han, Zhuang, Yao, Hui, etc. The weather in Yangshuo is subtropical, with sufficient rainfall, sunlight, and heat around the whole year. Spring (March to May) and autumn (October and November) are the best times of the year to visit, because in those periods it’s usually dry and warm.
The world knows that Guilin has the most beautiful scenery in China, and Yangshuo scenery is the most beautiful in Guilin. In Yangshuo County alone, there are over 20,000 hills and over 250 scenic spits. The clean and clear Li River winds through Yangshuo for 56km. About 70,000 limestone towers make up this inconceivable landscape.
Here are the most notable scenic spot that you have to visit when you plan to travel to Yangshuo County,
1. West Street (Xi Jie)
West Street is the most prosperous district in Yangshuo and it is also the oldest street with the history of more than 1.400 years. Visitors are attracted because of the unique mix of cultures.
West street is 517 meters long and 8 meters wide and it’s completely paved with marble. and what you can find in West street is not only to satisfy your visual but also for those who loves to shop, because in here you can find lots of shops, like craftworks shops, painting and calligraphy shops, fashion shops, backpack shops, etc. So, you can find yourself something unique as your souvenir because you won’t find it elsewhere.
For those who loves to eat, you can find a lot of cafes and restaurant here, and they not only provide you with Chinese food, but also any kind of food. In short, you can find food from all around the world. The restaurant is nicely decorated which will make your feast more pleasant.
2. Moon Hill
Moon Hill is a huge slice of rock with a round hole in its center, at various angles it resembles from the new moon to a full moon. It’s 380 m height and 410 m length by 220 m width. For rock climbers Moon Hill can be considered as a challenge.
The region around Moon Hill is endowed with beautiful sight. The locals call this scenic sight as “Ten-Li Gallery” the beauty even attracted one of the former US Presidents, President Carter to visit. If you manage to get to the top, then you should watch the sunset there, it’s amazingly beautiful.
3. Liu-Sanjie Opera
I’m sure you know about theater or Opera show, but how about the same concept but using a natural environment? It’s unique isn’t it? You will be amazed by the beauty, that’s for sure!
This is the world largest natural Theatres. It utilizes the water of Li River as its stage, with mist shrouded hills and the heavens as the backdrop. The mist, rain, moonlight, and the reflection from the river become their ever changing background. And everyday different weather will give you different sceneries with four seasons refreshing the performance, so, it will always looks interesting every time you watch it. The performance was premiered on March 20th, 2004 at the Sanjie Liu Sing Fair, one mile from West Street (Xi Jie).
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The film ‘Liu-Sanjie’ itself was produced in 1961, which made the Li River famous worldwide. Sanjie Liu is a fairy singer in the myths and legends of the Zhuang ethnic minority. She is beautiful and has voice that can complete her beauty. In the Opera, you will see the daily life of the people living around the Li River, rather than the specific details of the stories. From these, you will gain a realistic impression on the background of Sanjie’s birthplace and understand the beauty of the folk songs’ hometown.
4. Dragon Cave
The Dragon Cave is a pearl inlaid in Yangshuo scenery characterized by pretty rocks, strange caves and clear waters. It is Located on 6 Kilometers South of Yangshuo County, it’s between the Moon Hill and Big Banyan. It is named “Dragon Cave” because of the surrounding peaks resembling a circling dragon, and the numerous stalactites represent dragon in diversified postures.
The cave is over 1,000 meters (1,094 yards) long, 25 meters (82 feet) high at its highest point and 30 meters (33 yards) width. You can enjoy the scenery either by land or by boat. The scenery inside the caves is a masterpiece of nature. Stalagmites, stalactites, stone pillars, waterfalls, and underground rivers completed the beauty of this cave.
5. Big Banyan Tree
Big Banyan Tree, located 7.5km south of Yangshuo, is one of the main scenic attractions of Yangshuo County. It is said that the banyan was planted in the Jin Dynasty and is famous for its age and towering beauty.
The banyan tree is now 17 meters high, 7.1 meters around the trunk, and covers an area of 1000 square meters. When we look closely we see that it has beautifully twisted roots and gnarled branches. Its crown is round with an exuberant growth of branches and leaves. There is a huge branch stretching out straight starting just 1 meter above the ground. Enduring wind and rain for thousands of years, it is surprising that this branch has not been harmed. The Tall Banyan is on the west bank of the Jinbao River. Across the river, rocks of varying sizes, fascinating mountains and wonderful caves, make this area a must see.A scene from the famous old movie Liusanjie was filmed here at the Big Banyan Tree. The famous love scene has made this a popular spots for lovers and movie buffs.
6. Butterfly Spring Park
Butterfly Spring Park is located in Moon hill scenic area in yangshuo, it is 36.000 square meters. It gets the name by the butterfly-like stalactite found in the grotto of this beautiful park.
At the entrance to the Butterfly Spring Park there is a huge Monarch Butterfly model mounted on a cliff beside the gate. This park is well known for its beauty and relaxing atmosphere, and just like the others, it’s also a natural piece of art. Inside the park you can find a refreshing waterfalls, the butterfly bridge, the unique hanging bridge of yangshuo, and the honey bee garden, in here you can come and taste the fresh wild honey for free.
7. Green Lotus Peak
You can find not only pink and white colored Lotus in China, but also discover green Lotus flower here. Legend says that that the Green Lotus Fairy used to live in Heaven. One day she met with Chang Er, a Chinese fairy living on the moon, and asked her for help. Chang Er showed her sympathy for the Green Lotus Fairy. She turned the fairy into a piece of paper and took her out of the heavenly palace secretly to the Li River. One day, Nanji Xianweng (God of Longevity) traveled here and discovered the green lotus. He planned to take it to the heavenly pool. The green lotus was very sad because she fell in love with the carp in the river. And she asked the carp to blot up the water of the Li River so as to stay forever with the carp. As a result, she was turned into a stone hill, which is now the present-day Green Lotus Peak. But this annoyed Nanji Xianweng. The annoyed Nanji Xianweng also changed the carp into what is known today as the Carp Shoal.
Green Lotus Peak is located on the west bank of Li River. Southeast of Yangshuo County. A landmark of the county, the peak resembles a budding lotus bloom.
In here you can find various stone characters that were carved on the cliffs, which can be considered as a piece of art. You can also enjoy the natural landscape of the peak at Yingjiang Pavilion which provides eight windows for views of the mountain. Beyond the top of the hill, a striking scene composed of numerous peaks, rosy clouds, villages, the Li River and Yangshuo Country beckons the visitor. A sunrise view framed in light fog would be a memorable experience.
8. Xingping Village
Located 27 km from Yangshuo, on the eastern bank of the Li River, Xingping is an ancient town with a history of more than 1300 years. Xingping boasts some of the best natural scenery in the area; the seven mountains surrounding the village keep the place a spiritual sanctuary from the modern world. This area includes such enchanting scenes as “Pretty Woman Looking in the Mirror”, “General Drawing His Sword” and “Carp Drinking from the River”.
Some of the exciting activities are:
- Bike riding： wandering through the countryside on a bike and getting lost is one of the best things about Yangshuo. The villages often have dramatic mountain backdrops. Another popular trip is to take a boat ride with a bike, then bicycle back to town. Find a farmer woman for ¥100 per day to give you a guided tour of the local paths. This may include lunch at her place if you’re lucky.
- Rock climbing：as I said previously, Yangshuo also became one of the challenging hills for the climbers, it has over 300 climbing routes ranging in difficulty from 5.6 to 5.13, they also provide some preparations for you to climb, like a guide book and climbing equipment. So, make sure you prepare yourself before you start climbing it.
- Swimming in the Li River : During the summer the water and air temperature is good for swimming. Locals swim from the docks on the Li Jiang (Li River) a short way upstream of the town centre.
- Volunteer Teaching English: The Volunteer English Teachers program visits local schools to teach poor children English. Native English speaking volunteers can provide the students with an opportunity to practice their conversational English. In return, volunteers get dinner and free drinks.
So, what are you waiting for? It sounds like a very wonderful journey that has to be considered to put on your travel list isn’t it? Go and get your stuff, your journey starts now!
VOCABULARY
Yángshuò Xiàn
阳 朔 县 Yangshuo County n.
Liú Sān jiě
刘 三 姐 Liu-Sanjie (3rd Sister Liu). A hit musical movie in the 1960s. n.
Róng Shù
榕 树 Banyan Tree n.
Hú Dié
蝴蝶 Butterfly n.
Yóu Yǒng
游 泳 Swimming v.
Yì Gōng
义 工 Volunteer Work
