2014 Fresh and Chic Encounter—Yangshuo · West Street · Xingping · Huangyao (Stunning Photos + Guide)

Guangxi's transportation is relatively underdeveloped, making self-guided travel a bit inconvenient. The itinerary should be somewhat flexible and not too rushed.

Day 1, April 28: Beijing--Guilin. From Guilin, took an airport chartered car directly to Yangshuo West Street, a two-hour drive. Arrived at 5 PM. Pre-booked a three-day stay at Rosewood Hotel on Qunar.com, located in the busiest part of West Street but adjacent to the river, very quiet at night. Wandered around West Street in the evening and planned the following days’ itinerary.

Day 2, April 29: Yulong River rafting, returned to West Street in the afternoon to rest, watched the Impressions Liu Sanjie live performance in the evening (directed by Zhang Yimou, a must-see). It turned out to be worthwhile—spectacular scenes but shallow content, still worth a visit. For photography, it’s best to bring a 70-200mm telephoto lens; there are shots to take.

Day 3, April 30: Li River rafting. Due to an accident a few days earlier, bamboo rafts on the Li River were suspended, so we could only take a large cruise ship. There were many chartered cars available at West Street entrance—bargain! Because of bad weather and various rip-offs on the cruise, this attempt was a failure. I suggest backpackers go directly to Xingping and stay overnight—that’s the essence of Yangshuo.

Day 4, May 1: Drove to Huangyao Ancient Town, known as Little Guilin. I decided to go there on a whim after seeing a travel blog about Huangyao online. The transportation was a hassle: first take a bus to Hezhou, then transfer to Huangyao. Non-self-driving tourists will spend half a day on the road. However, Huangyao is definitely worth a visit.

Day 5, May 2: Returned from Huangyao to Yangshuo. Originally booked a room at Longji Rice Terraces, but due to the inconvenient May Day holiday traffic, I decided to go to Xingping instead and stay one night to experience the best of Yangshuo—and it turned out to be true.

Day 6, May 3: Xingping back to Yangshuo. Had lunch on West Street, spent the afternoon in a bar, took a chartered car to the airport in the evening, and returned to Beijing. Game over.

Drinking, photography, chatting, encounters, catching fireflies, stargazing—let the heart calm down. Listen to some favorite jazz in a West Street bar, swallow a bit of saliva at the sexy DJ, order two bottles of wine, and watch groups of the lost generation seeking drunken revelry—that's how to play in Yangshuo. In Huangyao, after the rain, ancient alleys, jars of tasty pickled vegetables, yellowed brick walls, stone bridges, reflections, village operas, drinking under the moon—that's how to play in Huangyao. In Xingping, follow the masters, set up a tripod by the Li River, adjust the parameters, wait in the cold for the sunset to burn the clouds, and incidentally encounter a Spanish girl, a schoolmate, chat and drink at the bar, climb the mountain together to watch the sunrise, say goodbye—that's how to play in Xingping.

Equipment: Pentax K5. I'm a die-hard fan and can't bear to switch to Canon or Nikon. Lenses used mainly: DA21 3.2 HD, DA50 1.8, with some landscapes shot using DA14 2.8 ultra-wide-angle. The kit lens 18-200 was mostly unused. It turns out that the 21mm lens on an APS-C sensor is really great—classic human eye perspective, natural, high hit rate. Would be even better with a larger aperture.

First, a few photos to whet your appetite. Xingping sunset.

20 RMB banknote scene.

Teenager on a bike on Ten-Mile Gallery.

West Street at night—people are also scenery.

Huangyao at night—crowds under lanterns.

Because it was the May Day holiday, hotel prices doubled. Food and accommodation vary by person; all price ranges are available, so I won't go into detail here.

But regarding food: 1. Chunji Roast Goose—highly recommended! A local recommended this restaurant, very famous in Guilin. The decor, dishes, and class are all good, and surprisingly, the prices are reasonable. Many fellow travelers I met also recommended it. 2. Guilin rice noodles—must try. Many choices, probably similar in taste; go to a place with good business. 3. Beer fish—although a local specialty, I personally didn't like the taste.

For transportation, it's best to contact a local travel agency to arrange a chartered car. If you have time and do your homework, renting a bicycle is the best.

Yangshuo travel mainly has three routes: one is the Ten-Mile Gallery route, southwest direction, with many attractions along the way, including Yulong River rafting; another is the northeast route, which is the Li River rafting, but tourists can simply take a car to Xingping and stay there—that's the most beautiful part of the Li River; the third is the northwest route, to the Paradise scenic area (newly developed), but I've heard the scenery is still great.

Photos: (West Street section)

West Street is the street of Westerners. Yangshuo is one of the earliest developed tourist spots in China, naturally becoming a gathering place for foreigners. Countless gap-year travelers and retirees come here for vacation. The photos show handsome guys and beautiful girls on bikes.

A mountain villager selling wild honey—melts in the mouth, quite tasty.

Mango Gang, a famous dessert shop with a full artistic vibe.

MANGO Mango Gang (City Center Store)

A family of three, haha.

African drums—I love their sound. If I have time, I'll definitely buy one to play.

More bike-riding foreigners.

Recommend a restaurant: Chunji Roast Goose. Good class, many dishes, affordable prices. Roast goose.

Chunji Roast Goose (Zhongshan Middle Road Store)

A nightclub called Momo—Southeast Asian wild cats, oh.

Early morning—backpacker foreigner.

This is a sad story, a bit heart-wrenching; all I could do was press the shutter.

West Street at night—figures like ghosts.

Chaos Cafe—I like the vibe and the resident band.

An English-speaking fisherman who claims to have taken a photo with Clinton.

Artistic shop—various trinkets.

Took a selfie—narcissistic, hehe.

Neon—habitually took a photo.

Crowded night market.

Just because in the crowd...

A very evocative candid shot.

Mango—nice!

Street shot of a handsome guy—very evocative.

Wrote postcards, sending my longing.

A foreigner buying postcards—probably sending to her husband and kids.

CD shop—a lot of artistic original bar songs, very good.

Night·outdoor Western food.

Bar interior decor.

Mango Gang's artistic vibe.

Bangbangtang Inn—nice vibe here too.

Shuo Bangbangtang Inn.

Foie gras with salted egg yolk—tasty, forgot the name.

Street painter—can make designs on clothes.

Couple's outfits—single loser feels envious.

Again this street, full of Western restaurants, very charming.

Hehe—buy some small gifts and use them as props.

International Youth Hostel cafe.

I like the feel of this shot.

A pet monkey—very well-behaved, only one year old.

On the way back, passed through Ten-Mile Gallery—a great road for cycling. Three friends.

On the cruise ship, getting artsy—bad weather was frustrating.

Xingping·Laozhai Mountain summit—started climbing with Clara at 5:30 AM, reached the top in half an hour, watched the sunrise—tired but happy, haha.

Li River at dusk—breathtakingly beautiful.

Xingping Ancient Town night market—it was here I encountered Clara, a Spanish friend, helped her with directions, and found out she was a fellow student at the same university—quite a coincidence. After settling in, we went out for drinks and a bar, hit it off.

A panoramic stitch.

This is Yangshuo through my eyes—in a word, it has both the stunning beauty of Xingping and the lively nightlife of West Street, truly a charming place. I couldn't help making a wish: to own my own inn or cafe here within 15 years, and come here to rest for a while every year when I have free time.

Next, another destination of this trip: Huangyao Ancient Town. Took a bus from Yangshuo to Hezhou, broke down halfway, detoured for a long time, hitchhiked various ways, and finally arrived at Huangyao. I can't help complaining about Guangxi's transportation xxxxx.

East Zhouzhuang, West Fenghuang, South Huangyao, North Pingyao.

Some call these the four great ancient towns of China. The other three are well-known, but Huangyao is the most unfamiliar.

Huangyao, a famous town in Guangxi. Huangyao is an ancient town with nearly a thousand years of history, originating in the Song Dynasty, built in the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, and flourishing in the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty. Since the town's inhabitants are mostly surnamed Huang and Yao, it was named "Huangyao."

With nearly a thousand years of history, it still maintains a relatively simple folk style, without the heavy commercial atmosphere of Lijiang or West Street. Surrounded by karst mountains, it's a very quiet little town. In fact, to judge a place, just observe the eyes of the locals. In Huangyao, every elderly person's eyes reveal peace and contentment, free from worldly strife.

Here, for the first time in my life, I saw fireflies. Let them crawl on my arm—it tickled, and I couldn't help marveling at the wonders of nature.

First, Huangyao's night market—unique charm.

A drunken woman being dragged by her husband, acting crazy.

Evening is also the best time for vendors.

Red lanterns, yellow walls—ancient beauty.

A couple of playing children.

Got up early in the morning, when there were fewer people—another kind of serene vibe.

Early morning photographers.

Early morning breakfast vendors.

Blue stone slabs after rain.

Pickled vegetables—very tasty, I think they beat Wujiang pickles.

A cool motorcyclist.

Children also help set up the stall to sell goods.

Candid shot of a girl—how can humanistic photography be without girls?

An old woman's dog.

An old man by the sacrificial altar.

On the main street, there are artistic little shops everywhere.

Wine—my favorite. No matter where I go, I must try the local famous wine.

Haha, caught three expressive faces.

There are many Hakka people in Guangxi.

The big banyan tree at the entrance of the ancient town—probably a thousand years old.

As the sun rose the next day, I bid farewell to Huangyao. Maybe I'll never come here again, but the memories and photos are eternal.

I'll stop here.