#2020 National Day# Guangxi Full Region: Guilin/Lijiang Yangshuo/Nanning/Detian Waterfall/Tongling Canyon/Beihai Weizhou Island 9-Day Trip

📍 Guilin · 👁 2 reads · ❤️ 70 likes

1. Avoid going to Longji Rice Terraces during National Day. The mountain roads are narrow and difficult to drive; if there's an accident, traffic jams up, taking several times longer than usual.

2. Some main roads in Beihai are under construction, causing severe traffic jams. Plan your routes and timing in advance.

3. On Weizhou Island and in Beihai, pay attention to sun protection as UV rays are strong. Carry an umbrella at all times; it's either rain or scorching sun.

Arriving in Guilin, the Sun and Moon Pagodas have a beautiful night view. Take the bus to Yangqiao Station, walk along the lake to see the pagodas. Entering the pagodas requires a ticket; viewing from outside is free. Walk to Zhengyang Road Pedestrian Street. In the afternoon, there are few people and stalls haven't come out yet.

Zhengyang Road and East Lane have alleys like Jiangnan Lane, similar to Shanghai's Tianzifang, Hangzhou's Qinghefang, Suzhou's Pingjiang Road. They are livelier at night with more snacks. West Street Pedestrian Street, perhaps due to the pandemic, many shops close before 9 PM; it seems not very lively. It's also near the Sun and Moon Pagodas, within walking distance.

Tried Luosifen (snail noodles). It's not as stinky as legend says, but has a unique Luosifen flavor. With pickled beans, peanuts, etc., it's okay.

From Guilin to Xingping Town takes 2 hours by car. At Xingping Town Visitor Center, buy tickets for the rafting. From Xingping Chaobanshan Pier to Mashan (Nine Horse Mural Mountain) is half journey at 80 yuan (one way); from Chaobanshan Pier to Yangdi is full journey at 170 yuan (one way). From Xingping Town to Chaobanshan Pier, where the 20 yuan note background is, you need to take an electric scooter. Then from Mashan Pier after the one-way bamboo raft, take an electric scooter back to Xingping Town. The combo ticket includes two scooter rides and one one-way raft. Scooter tickets can also be bought separately at 20 yuan each. The Li River bamboo rafts are electric with canopies, seating four people per boat. If not full, you need to wait for others or pay for empty seats.

In comparison, the Yulong River rafting is more primitive and fun. Two people per bamboo raft, real bamboo rafts with a punter. There are several piers on the Yulong River, managed and charged by different villages, but prices are similar. We did the stretch from Shui'edi to Gongnong Bridge, one-way rafting. There are four small downhill sections that wet shoes and trousers; lift your legs when going down. The whole trip takes 40 minutes, but if the river is high and windy, the flow is faster and it ends within 30 minutes. Enjoy the scenery on both sides, a true tour of mountains and water.

Yangshuo West Street is 2 km from the Impression Liu Sanjie show, about a half-hour walk. You can call an electric scooter for about 10 yuan. West Street is not crowded in the afternoon, becoming lively around 5 PM. There are many Master Chef Beer Fish restaurants on the street, not sure which is authentic; check online reviews.

The Impression Liu Sanjie show starts at 19:45, with entry from 18:50. Arrive early as there is a long walk to the entrance. The show lasts about an hour, with great sound and lighting. It's an open-air seating show, and raincoats are available upon entry. Light rain doesn't affect it, but heavy rain might. The performance is on water, with over 300 performers. In peak season, there is an additional show at 21:00. After the curtain call, the director's information appears on the big screen; the show has been running since 2004, now over a decade.

9.28 Longji Rice Terraces

Departing from Yangshuo to the Longji scenic area ticket gate, about 2.5 hours without traffic. The scenic area includes Longji Ancient Zhuang Village Terraces, Ping'an Zhuang Terraces, and the most famous Jinkeng Dazhai Hongyao Terraces. At Jinkeng, the Golden Buddha Summit viewpoint is accessible by cable car; walking up takes one hour one way, cable car 15 minutes one way, 100 yuan round trip.

From the scenic area gate to the Jinkeng Dazhai cable car ticket office takes about 40 minutes by car, all on mountain roads with occasional bumps. In non-peak season, it's a two-way road, quite narrow and tests driving skills. If there's a scratch, the whole road gets blocked, so avoid peak season. In peak season, the uphill road is one-way, and the downhill takes a different route. You can take the scenic area bus uphill.

With half a day at Jinkeng, you can only visit one viewpoint plus the Huangluo Hongyao Long Hair Village on the way up. This long hair village is a semi-built primitive village selling fruits, ethnic costumes, silver jewelry, etc. There is a long hair performance, but it seems to charge a fee. It's a narrow U-shape with shops on one side and restaurants on the other. Most visitors to Longji arrive around noon, eat at the long hair village, then go to the terraces. But honestly, this attraction is quite lackluster with little sightseeing value, purely to boost the economy.

Golden Buddha Summit is probably the highest and most famous viewpoint in the Longji area. After taking the cable car up, it depends on the weather; if there's fog, you can't see the terraces clearly, but it might clear up. It's indeed spectacular, suitable for panoramic shots. We went at the end of September, and the terraces were only one-third yellow. Mid-October is the best viewing time.

? Avoid going to Longji Rice Terraces during National Day. The mountain roads are narrow and difficult to drive; if there's an accident, traffic jams up, taking several times longer than usual.

Night tour of Two Rivers and Four Lakes

Xiangshan Scenic Area has four gates. Gate 2 leads to the best viewpoint of Elephant Trunk Hill, which can be viewed from a distance. The scenic area is not large; if you don't climb the hill, you can finish in at most 2 hours.

Reed Flute Cave takes about 1.5 hours: 1 hour inside following the guide, half an hour up and down the mountain. The cave is quite large, the path is not difficult but a bit dark and slippery. The lights on the various stalactites create a great visual effect.

Lunch at Gui Xiaochu in Mixc Mall. Busy at noon. Ordered their signature Nanning Lemon Duck. Not many dishes, but affordable, a specialty of Guangxi.

Then the Guilin leg is over. Take the bullet train to Nanning. There are many trains, about one every 20 minutes, taking about 2.5 hours to Nanning. Nanning Zhongshan Road Night Market is very lively.

9.30 Mingshi Pastoral and Detian Waterfall

From Nanning to Mingshi Pastoral is 2.5 hours by car. Mingshi Pastoral is a filming location for "The Journey of Flower", a privately contracted scenic spot with few visitors. You can take a bamboo raft to tour the river, then take photos after disembarking. Photo tip: shoot from inside a bridge hole outward.

Detian Waterfall is not far from Mingshi Pastoral. When the water flow is low, you can also take a bamboo raft, jokingly called a cross-country tour, because the other side of the Guichun River is Vietnam. On the river, you can see Vietnamese girls taking photos by the riverbank, and also see the Ban Gioc Waterfall in Vietnam. As you get closer to the waterfall, you feel water spraying on you; in the wet season, it's spectacular.

The Detian scenic area is still under construction. The Sino-Vietnamese cooperation exchange area in the latter part is not open yet, and the Qing Dynasty No. 53 boundary marker is also closed. From the scenic area gate, you need to take a shuttle bus (35 yuan per person) to get to the foot of the waterfall. The road is long, and walking would take a long time. The main route is to walk up along the side closest to the waterfall, getting up close, but bring an umbrella as you will get wet. After reaching the Third-Level Waterfall Viewing Platform, there is a square next to the Detian Temple (still under construction). Go around the square and follow the viewing path. The first- and second-level viewing platforms are blocked by trees and don't show much. The third level shows all seasons, and the fifth level has the best view, where you can see both Ban Gioc and Detian waterfalls. There's a panoramic viewing platform ahead that is not open. At the exit, you pass by shops selling Vietnamese rubber sandals and Saigon coffee, not expensive. Hotels in the Detian area are quite damp.

10.1 Tongling Grand Canyon

One hour by car from Detian Waterfall. The difference between Tongling Grand Waterfall and Detian Waterfall is that Tongling has a single vertical drop and is within a canyon covered with green vegetation, with fresh negative oxygen ions. But according to the guide, many trees and plants are poisonous, so don't touch or pick them. The most common are Gualang trees and Gualang fruits. Entering the scenic area requires descending over 800 steps. The steps have moss, are slippery and steep, so watch your step. There are leeches on the roadside; unfortunately, I was a victim. I noticed only when I saw a small pool of blood on my foot, feeling sticky. So wear long pants and long sleeves. Water drips from above, so bring an umbrella and a poncho. All the way down to the bottom is Tongling Grand Waterfall, a long cascade seemingly falling from the sky. Then go back along the underground river. Unfortunately, due to heavy rain, the Water Curtain Cave was not open. The entire scenic area takes about 2 hours.

From Tongling Grand Canyon to Beihai is 300 km, 5.5-6 hours. On National Day, we encountered traffic jams and arrived at 7:30 PM.

Weizhou Island ferry tickets: the cheapest is 150 yuan one way. For National Day, you need to buy tickets at least half a month in advance. But if you miss them, some last-minute tickets will be released, so just grab them. Crocodile Hill Scenic Area requires ticket verification; other attractions don't, but the essence of Weizhou Island is Crocodile Hill. The island is very sunny, even on cloudy days UV is strong; apply sunscreen. Main transportation on the island is motorcycles and sightseeing cars. Sightseeing cars can be booked online in advance, or you can hire one for a day on the island. Motorcycles are a bit dangerous because of slopes and sharp turns. Dripping Water Danping is the best place to watch the sunset.

Qiaogang Vietnam-Style Street - Beihai's Qiaogang Town is a town mainly inhabited by overseas Chinese returnees from Vietnam. Over decades of development, the people have not lost their original fishing family characteristics from Vietnam (especially around PoWan Island), but have formed an important food culture distinct from Beihai's Cantonese cuisine. These food cultures have become Qiaogang's signature: thin-skinned and chewy Vietnamese rice rolls (10 yuan/portion), unforgettable coconut-fried snails (20 yuan/portion and up), flavorful crab roe rice noodles (10 yuan/portion), refreshing tropical fruit smoothies (8 yuan/portion and up), sweet syrups (4 yuan/portion and up) with many varieties like longan red date ginkgo syrup, Qing Bu Liang (cooling dessert), water chestnut syrup, Sagomi syrup, mung bean barley syrup, etc.

Beihai Golden Bay Mangrove Ecological Tourism Area is a beautiful coastal wetland, mainly composed of mangrove viewing area and Danjia Folk Culture Park. Here you can stroll on wooden boardwalks extending into the wetland, enjoy the large mangrove forest; walk in the Danjia Folk Culture Park to experience Danjia folk culture; also go to the beach to catch seafood, pick shells, and catch crabs, experiencing the life of Danjia fishermen.

Beihai Silver Beach Tourist Resort is located in the southern part of Beihai, consisting of Silver Beach Park and Beach Park. It is a nationally renowned coastal scenic spot with fine silvery-white sand, especially beautiful at sunset. It is also a great place for swimming and water sports. The entire sailing experience route takes about 40 minutes. On the way out, follow the shallow sea route along the beach, allowing visitors to enjoy the Silver Beach coastline; on the return, take the deep-sea route, hugging the ocean and experiencing the deep blue.

Beihai Old Street is located in the Zhuhai Road and Zhongshan Road area, a street built in 1821. Along this 1.44 km-long street are former consulates of Britain, France, Germany, etc., as well as the former site of German Senbao Foreign Firm and the Catholic Church's nuns' residence, eclectic arcade-style buildings witnessing Beihai's past prosperity. Now it has become a commercial street with herbal medicine shops, taverns, tea houses, and you can also eat local foods like spicy flower snails, shrimp cakes, pig trotter noodles, etc.

Waisha Seafood Island is Guangxi's seafood distribution center and a renowned seafood dining area. The glass room on the second floor of the internet-famous Silk Road Exchange Center is closed and not open to the public.

During National Day, Qiaogang is very crowded. Popular restaurants require online queuing in advance, otherwise you can't get in.

Travelogue Table of Contents

1. Foreword

2. D1 Guilin Sun and Moon Pagodas - Two Rivers and Four Lakes - East West Lane - Zhengyang Road Pedestrian Street

3. D2 Guilin - Yangshuo - Yulong River Rafting - Yangshuo West Street - Impression Liu Sanjie

4. D3 Yangshuo - Huangluo Yao Village - Longji Rice Terraces

5. D4 Elephant Trunk Hill → Reed Flute Cave - Nanning

6. D5 Mingshi Riverside - [Bamboo raft "Little Guilin" Mingshi Pastoral] - Detian Transnational Waterfall

7. D6 Tongling Grand Canyon

8. D7 Beihai Weizhou Island One-Day Tour

9. D8 Golden Bay Mangrove - Silver Beach Sailing - Beihai Old Street

10. D9 Waisha Seafood Island - Qiaogang Food Street