Guangxi Travel: Viewing the Li River in the Hazy Mist (Photos)

Located in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China, the 'Guilin's scenery is the best under heaven' is renowned worldwide. However, the picturesque and stunning Li River among the mountains and waters is an important part of it. The reporter has visited the Li River twice, but the first trip, shrouded in mist and haze, though imperfect due to weather conditions, left an unforgettable deep impression.

Viewing the River at the Dock (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

On November 25, 2004, the reporter, following a special train tour organized by China Railway Travel, visited the Elephant Trunk Hill and Seven Stars scenic spots in Guilin, then took a bus to the Mopan Mountain Dock, 28 kilometers south of downtown Guilin. The reason for boarding a boat at Mopan Mountain Dock to tour the Li River is that the route from here to Yangshuo is an excellent 'Li River Essence Tour'.

Setting Off on the Li River Tour (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

The Li River originates from the main peak of Cat Mountain in Xing'an County, northeast of Guilin. Its upper reaches are called the Darong River. From the confluence of the Lingqu Canal and the Li River at Rongjiang Town to the Gongcheng River mouth in Pingle County, it is called the Li River, with a total length of 170 kilometers. The lower reaches from the source to Wuzhou are collectively called the Gui River, with a total length of 426 kilometers, belonging to the Pearl River system.

The Husband-Waiting Stone on the Li River (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

Ancient people believed that the Xiang and Li rivers shared the same source. The Ocean River originating from the Haiyang Mountains was divided by the Lingqu Canal in Xing'an County at a ratio of three to seven. The two rivers separated, each adding 'three drops of water': the one flowing north was called the Xiang River, and the one flowing south was called the Li River.

Twin Peaks on the Li River (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

Many famous scenic spots in Guilin are adjacent to the Li River or its tributaries. The Li River flows through the city of Guilin, adding unparalleled beauty and unique charm to this famous tourist city.

A Small Boat on the River (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

After about 40 minutes of travel, the reporter and his team arrived at the Mopan Mountain Dock. Boarding the boat and sailing downstream, the beautiful scenery of the Li River unfolded before them. The only drawback was the gloomy and misty sky that day, forcing people to tour the Li River in the hazy mist. Nonetheless, the Li River did not lose its beauty. The 50-kilometer waterway from Mopan Mountain to Yangshuo winds like a green silk ribbon among countless peaks, with strange peaks lining the banks, clear waters meandering, steep cliffs hanging over the river, green mountains floating on the water, and beautiful scenery, like a hundred-mile scroll painting.

The Li River in the Mist (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

The beauty of the Li River scenery not only fully displays the characteristics of 'green mountains, clear waters, strange caves, and beautiful rocks' but also boasts 'deep pools, dangerous shoals, flowing springs, and flying waterfalls'.

Guan Yan Dock on the Li River (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

In the hundred-mile gallery of the Li River, green waters, green mountains, emerald bamboos, and reflections form a green world, showcasing the ecological beauty of nature with green as the soul and water as the spirit. Misty rain, clear haze, moonlight, and colorful clouds make the Li River as wonderful as a dreamlike fairyland.

Guan Yan Deep Cave (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

In these green paintings of the Li River, sleeping water buffaloes and cormorant fishing fires appear at times, and playful children and tea-picking village girls emerge at others. This pastoral poem of harmony between heaven and man reveals the highest realm of beauty in Li River water culture.

Forest of Strange Peaks (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

The hundred-mile scroll painting can be roughly divided into three scenic areas based on the different landscapes. The first scenic area: Guilin to Huangniu Gorge. On both banks of the Li River, strange peaks stand in forests, with villages and fields scattered, offering diverse landscapes, making it an excellent place to view distant mountains, nearby waters, and local culture, forming the beginning of the scroll.

Cliffs Along the Bank (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

In the Huangniu Gorge area, a cliff shaped like a welcoming bat spreads its wings to block the current, forming a majestic river gorge extending for several miles. The great Ming Dynasty geographer Xu Xiake believed that compared with it, the natural dangers of the Yangtze River, such as Red Cliff and Cai Ji, 'also lose their grandeur'.

A Scene in the Middle of the River (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

The second scenic area: Huangniu Gorge to Shuicun Village. The stone mountains on both banks stretch continuously, with strange peaks towering majestically, forming the essence of Li River scenery and the main part of the scroll.

Xingping Ancient Town (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

The third scenic area: Shuicun Village to Yangshuo. The earth hills on both banks are lush green, with emerald bamboos, dense forests, fields, mountain villages, and fishing villages everywhere, adding beautiful pastoral colors to the scroll. Boating on the Li River is pleasing to the eye, refreshing the mind, purifying the soul, and leaving behind worldly concerns. It can be said that the Li River is unparalleled in beauty. A folk song says, 'Nine oxen face three isles, the river flows on both sides; five horses block the river crossing, twin lions roll an embroidered ball.'

Peaks Upon Peaks (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

In the grass beach area, the river twists and peaks are strange, with lotus peaks and green cliffs. Guan Yan on the left bank got its name because the mountain resembles an ancient golden crown, earning the reputation of 'the pearl of the Li River'. Passing by Xiushan Mountain, Half Ferry, 'Peach Garden Moon Appreciation', 'Stone Man Pushing Mill', Bamboo Shoot Mountain, and other sights, one encounters the five major beautiful scenes of the Li River: Yangdi Flying Waterfall, Langshi Misty Rain, Nine Horses Fresco Hill, Huangbu Reflection, and Xingping Beautiful Scenery.

Nine Horses Fresco Hill in the Mist (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

The most famous mountain on the Li River is Fresco Hill, and the most beautiful scene is Huangbu Reflection. Fresco Hill is 416 meters high. On the cliff facing the river, due to the death and calcification of low-level organisms such as algae, colored bands of different shades have formed on the mountain cliff. Due to the weather conditions that day, the camera could not capture the characteristics of this scene. A reference image is used here, allowing people to clearly see the 'horse' patterns on the rocks of Nine Horses Fresco Hill.

Nine Horses Fresco Hill on a Sunny Day (Reference Image)

It is these biological pigments and the various mineral colors contained in the rocks that have painted the world-famous nine horses of Fresco Hill, as well as 'Carp Hanging on the Wall', 'Embroidered Mountain Colorful Painting', 'Zhang Guo Lao Riding a Thousand-Mile Horse Backwards', and other natural cliff paintings of the Li River.

Yangshuo Dock (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

Under the blue sky and white clouds, the mountains resemble jade bamboo shoots and jade hairpins, the peaks like black hair and green eyebrows. The reflection near Huangbu Beach creates the artistic conception of 'clearly seeing the green mountain tops, the boat sailing on top of the green mountains'.

Yangshuo Foreigner Street (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

It has been said that the Li River has different charms in different seasons and different weather. On a sunny day, the reflections of green peaks on the Li River are particularly charming.

Foreigner Street Coffee House (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

However, the misty rain on the Li River offers a different kind of beauty: the drizzle is like silk, drifting and drizzling; clouds and mists swirl, making one feel as if in a fairy palace, as if entering a dream.

Ethnic Clothing Store (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

After more than four hours of touring the Li River, the reporter and his team went ashore in Yangshuo. From near the dock, they took a sightseeing bus to the famous West Street in Yangshuo. Because many foreigners open shops here, it is also called 'Foreigner Street'.

Sketching (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

It is said that business here is very booming. Many foreign friends who have opened shops have married Chinese women and settled down here. The reporter saw that on this not-so-long street, tourists from all over the world jostle shoulder to shoulder as they stroll. Some foreigners sit leisurely in coffee houses along the street, looking very comfortable.

The Reporter in Yangshuo (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

Although the reporter's trip to tour the Li River in the hazy mist allowed him to fully enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Li River, it was a pity for the reporter and some tourists who love to take photos. In particular, the famous Nine Horses Fresco Hill scene, due to the mist and backlighting, appeared blurry in the camera. However, the regret of the first misty Li River tour left the reporter with an expectation that he must come back to tour the Li River again... (Text and photos by Feng Ganyong)