4-Day Relaxing Getaway: Yangshuo

Work was driving me to the brink of collapse, so I stole some time and went to Yangshuo to unwind!

Packing my bags and with my little one, we caught an early flight, setting off on a sleepy morning. The little guy was restless with excitement—sitting down to eat oranges one moment, wandering around the cabin the next.

Actually, the oranges weren’t even that good; he just wanted to be on the plane for fun.

Looking at the pictures, I was still carrying my backpack as we walked around Elephant Trunk Hill together. He seemed really tired, and suddenly his mood turned gloomy, losing his earlier cheerfulness.

To be honest, coming to Elephant Trunk Hill was mainly to fulfill a childhood dream. I remembered learning the line: "Guilin's mountains and waters are the best under heaven," and the clarity of the Li River...

It reminded me of the embroidered pouches I saw as a child and the black-and-white picture of Elephant Trunk Hill on a T-shirt.

Everything felt so real. As I stood there staring at Elephant Trunk Hill, lost in thought,

I didn't even notice that two or three tour groups had already passed by. About 80% of them couldn't help but look at us—the big one and the small one—especially a mom carrying a huge backpack. It must have stunned everyone, and I was exhausted myself.

I love this kind of life in Yangshuo—the idea of opening a small shop, sitting at the door, watching tourists from all over the world, each with their own charm. Leisurely and happy, occasionally snapping a few photos with the camera, growing old slowly like this.

In a small town like this, the density of foreigners is probably higher than in Xiamen. On the road, there were vanloads of laowai, and groups of little laowai riding bicycles, gliding by like the wind. My little one and I joined in—we rented a bicycle and started our "low-carbon travel."

Our first stop was West Street. It was lively and reminded me of Gulangyu, but I have to say it's much better here—no concentrated barbecue smoke, much cleaner, and the shops are more distinctive.

A gourd shop made us stop—the "Mèn Hú Lú" creative shop... I couldn't help but admire their creativity: tiny gourds carved into mermaids, hanging baskets, and all sorts of creative works.

Little Bao loved it—he’d pick one up, then put it down, then pick another. He was busy going through two or three baskets, sweating all over his head. Finally, he picked four and said, "One for each man in our family. All set, let's go!"

Route: Yangshuo—Yulong Bridge—Jinlong Bridge—Fuli Bridge—Baisha—Yangshuo

In 2012, when there was no Amap, we traveled around with just a paper map, fearless. Road signs were the most reliable guides.

I didn't want to Photoshop the photos or create a gap between images and reality. But since we rode here around 7 a.m., there was a bit of fog. Imagine how much more beautiful it would be on a clear day. So, with a good mood, everything you see is beautiful.

Seeing that signboard, I couldn't help but marvel: in such a remote little village, even the old man selling rice noodles and fixing bikes could speak English.

When he saw me and my son, before we even spoke, he greeted us with "HELLO, help your bike?" I just smiled and walked away without saying a word.

I kept laughing the whole way. Little Bao said, "Mom, what are you laughing at?" "The old man thought we were foreigners."

You can imagine how much the foreigners have helped spread English even to the small villages.

Also, the people here are very straightforward. Whenever we asked for directions, they were very responsible. Once we asked an old lady, and after she pointed the way, we had just ridden a few steps when she caught up and said, "At that intersection ahead..." Haha, lovely old lady. Thumbs up!

Another old grandpa personally led me and my son to the bus station. We chatted happily along the way. I learned he wasn't local—he had come to look after his grandchildren while his sons were away working.

Seeing a four-story family hotel run by a foreigner not far away, the contrast was stark. Foreigners come here to make money, while our own people have to leave their hometown...

This road led to a path with few people.

Riding along this small path felt especially joyful, like singing that song "Walking on the small path in the countryside..."

The Yulong River was really beautiful. There were bamboo raft rides everywhere—whether to ride or not was up to you.

In the small villages near Yulong River, I saw so many ripening wheat fields for the first time. Both my little one and I were very excited!

Yangshuo is not only a paradise for photography enthusiasts but also a playground for rock climbers. We came this time partly because of a competition.

Route: Yangshuo—Totem Ancient Path—Tianlai Butterfly Spring—Yangshuo (felt like an average scenic spot)

The suspension bridge at Butterfly Spring was kind of interesting, and the view from the high point was nice.

Route: Yangshuo—Big Banyan Tree—Moon Hill—Moon Hill Village—Jianshan Temple—Tianjia River—Yangshuo

I absolutely love the Galsang flowers!

A different bamboo raft experience.

Kind-hearted uncle.

Little Bao kept pestering me to take a bamboo raft ride, but I didn't let him. I wanted to give him a different raft experience.

So I talked to a resting uncle. After thinking for a moment, he agreed! Awesome!!!

The uncle's granddaughter—I took a few pictures of her and copied them to give to him. Little Bao shared some of his snacks with the little girl. We offered the uncle 50 yuan for the bamboo raft, but he wouldn't take it, saying, "I agreed to let you play for free." After some back and forth, he reluctantly accepted. He insisted we stay for a meal, but we politely declined. Such a kind person!!!

Food around West Street:

1.红星特快 (Red Star Express) - The restaurant has a great atmosphere, with a large star pendant hanging from the ceiling matching their "Red Star" theme. They often play light music, creating a nice ambience. Recommended: their pizza, thin and crispy crust, rich toppings, generous portions. The pasta tastes different from Pizza Hut's, with more ingredients and delicious.

2. 原始人 (Primitive Man) - A Western restaurant at the corner of West Street. Upstairs you can see the views of two streets. Extremely popular—every inch of floor space is packed with diners. Truly "overflowing with people." Their signature dish is roast chicken, but you need to order it a day in advance. Also, their signature pizza, beef and potato pie, and blueberry cheesecake are great—almost everyone orders them.

3. 谢三姐啤酒鱼 (Xie Sanjie Beer Fish) - Four branches in Yangshuo, a decade-old establishment. Famous, but prices are a bit high. Recommended: beer bamboo fish, braised free-range chicken with red mushrooms, Li River ginger duck, stuffed snails, candied taro, etc. Parking available. There are many similarly named restaurants with good quality—choose at will. (We didn't go because it was crowded.)

4. MANGO芒果帮 (Mango Gang) - A small drink shop specializing in mango-flavored juices, smoothies, and slushies, with several branches in Yangshuo county. Freshly squeezed mango juice is thick and smooth, with moderate sweetness and strong aroma; mango milkshake adds plenty of fresh milk for a rich taste.

5. 瘦子桂林米粉 (Shouzi Guilin Rice Noodles) - Very famous outside. No exaggeration. The toppings for the rice noodles are diverse and can be mixed freely. Affordable price, average environment—sitting on wooden benches, eating from enamel bowls, very rustic. Rice noodles were our daily breakfast. They are sold by weight (liang). I usually ordered 2 liang. I've tried several places; Shouzi's texture, soup, and meat are slightly better. If you're not passing by, any roadside shop with many customers will do.

6. 没有饭店 (Meiyou Restaurant) (West Street branch) - Anyone who has been to Yangshuo remembers this "No" restaurant. Three branches in Yangshuo: No. 82 and No. 86 on West Street, and Yueban Wan at Sunshine 100. The one at No. 86 has singing performances at night, and you can request songs for free. As for why it's called "No," the menu explains: "No non-iced beer, no bad food, no overcharging, no bad service... So no reason not to come in."

7. 老地方餐吧 (Old Place Café) - A small café on the first floor of the Old Place Youth Hostel in Xingping Ancient Town. It's one of the larger and more well-known restaurants there, with a good reputation. The décor has an antique charm; the menu is diverse, with both Chinese and Western dishes, and good taste. Recommended: wood-fired pizza, mildly spicy nest tofu, fragrant and crisp orange duck, and for those with a sweet tooth, candied taro. (I made a plan but didn't go.)

Too bad I didn't take any photos. Back in 2012, we weren't in the habit of photographing food before eating. Just as I was about to take a picture, the little guy next to me said, "Mom, don't take a picture, it's weird." So that was that.

I don't know what happened earlier, but I saw a pile of kumquats on the roadside, as if from a overturned car. So, you know... yeah.

This trip to Yangshuo—the best feeling was the joy of cycling! Clean roads, good conditions, fresh air!

Forgive us—we were kids who had never been up close to a cow.

That thing on the boat was the "cormorant" we learned about in our textbooks.

When Little Bao saw the bamboo raft, he immediately wanted to "work." "Mom, I'm going to explore over there. Wait for me!"

The gradually receding small figure.

I followed behind, and sure enough, he was starting his work. Took a sneaky photo!

Thank you to the old man who rented us the bike. He checked it for us every day and even gave us a free half-day ride. During this trip, we cycled about 15 km each day.

Even after all these years, Little Bao and I still remember Yangshuo fondly!

Travel Notes Directory:

1. West Street

2. Cycling along Yulong River

3. Climbing Festival

4. Butterfly Spring

5. Moon Hill

6. West Street at Night

7. The Joy of Cycling

8. Thank you to Little Pink, who accompanied us all the way

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