The Safest Attractions Guide for Guilin and Yangshuo During the 2021 Pandemic

This guide is quite special because it was customized together with a guest, who is a local doctor from Guangxi with extensive experience, and since I am a local of Yangshuo, I have a better understanding of the foot traffic at scenic spots.

Day 1: I took a Didi car from home to pick up the guest at Nanning East, and arrived at Guilin Station around noon. After getting off the train, we walked for just over 10 minutes to reach the Earth Village Hostel (Guilin Station Elephant Trunk Hill Park Branch). After dropping off our luggage, we had lunch at a restaurant opposite the hotel. Their family of three spent over 180 yuan, a very affordable place. Then we returned to the room to rest for half an hour, took another Didi to the Elephant Trunk Hill Scenic Area. The water along the Li River was at a low season, with no wind, and the river surface was like a mirror, perfectly reflecting and highlighting the Elephant Trunk Hill. In India, the elephant is a mascot, and in China as well, it symbolizes good luck and fulfillment. I told the guests to silently make a wish in their hearts. Wishing them a lucky and auspicious Year of the Ox!

After visiting Elephant Trunk Hill, we went to the Jingjiang Prince's Mansion, which was the princely residence of Zhu Shouqian, the Jingjiang Prince of the Ming Dynasty. Construction began in the fifth year of the Hongwu era (1372 AD) and was completed in the twenty-fifth year of the Hongwu era (1392 AD). The outer walls of Jingjiang Prince City contain the best-preserved city walls from the Ming Dynasty. The scenic area includes Duxiu Peak, the Prince's Mansion, the Examination Hall, the Crescent Pond, cliffside carvings, and the campus of Guangxi Normal University within the Prince City. It is one of the few 5A-level scenic spots. Visiting the Prince's Mansion takes at least two hours. By evening, we went to the Golden Farm Village Restaurant for local specialty dishes. The food was excellent! Afterward, we took a walk around the Two Rivers and Four Lakes scenic area, sharing some good photos with everyone. Let me clarify: we did not take a boat ride (to avoid close contact with others and wore masks) for the night view. It was very close to walk from the pedestrian street to Dongxi Lane. By about 9 PM, we took a Didi back to the hotel for less than 10 yuan. Back at the hotel, we took a hot bath and had a good night's rest. Please note the temperature difference, bring a coat; the daytime temperature of 15°C was very warm.

Day 2: We woke up naturally in the morning, then went to a rice noodle shop near the hotel. For 18 yuan, the family of three had a hearty meal of Guilin rice noodles. We called a ride-sharing car from Guilin to Yangshuo, specifying no sharing with strangers, paying 150 yuan to go directly to the Earth Village Yishan Hostel in Yangshuo. The drive took about an hour. The entrance of the hostel road was very close, about 20 meters away; they were worried I might not find the location given to them, but it was actually easy to find. By then it was noon. Since they had walked a lot the previous day, today's itinerary involved less walking. After eating snail rice noodles, the front desk of Yishan Hostel helped us rent two electric scooters. The wife drove one, and the husband drove the other with their child. Following the route I customized, they rode north along Route 321 to the vicinity of Baisha Town to see Fuli Bridge, then went downstream along the Yulong River to the Old County intersection at Yulong Bridge, then branched off to Xian'gui Bridge, continuing downstream along the Yulong River, passing the beautiful and trendy Xiatang Village. There are many famous inns and hostels with great design, well worth seeing. Both the exteriors and interiors are very distinctive. Many inn owners are happy to invite passersby to tour their facilities during the off-season, as it's a free advertising opportunity. There is also a foreigner's inn called "Madman's", which is excellent. This area was a small county town in the Tang Dynasty, and many ancient residential villages remain, with walls showing the vicissitudes of history. There are also many boutique inns converted from rammed earth houses, showcasing the unique architecture of the Guilin region. Further downstream near the Gongnong Bridge, where it intersects with the Ten Mile Gallery, it was time to find a farmhouse restaurant for dinner. The best spot to photograph the sunset before the sun went down was from Gongnong Bridge. The electric scooters needed charging; even the high-capacity batteries were almost drained after an afternoon of riding around the north, south, and west of Yangshuo. I recommend the bamboo tube chicken, beer duck, and fried taro with caramel. In the evening, we returned to the hotel, located in the West Street commercial area, to enjoy the charming night scene of West Street and the intoxicating bar street. It was just a 3-minute walk, no need to ride. We stayed at the Earth Village Yishan Hostel. (Common areas disinfected twice daily: elevator buttons, door handles, and public restrooms.) Since we booked the Zen Mountain View King Room, they offered free wooden bucket foot soaks with a pack of Chinese herbs and disposable plastic bags, very hygienic and comfortable.

Day 3: We departed at 4:30 AM on small motorcycles for Gonggong Mountain, costing 100 yuan per day. On the way, we saw the most beautiful viewing platform. The entrance fee to Gonggong Mountain scenic area was 60 yuan for self-driving. The hostel had a package of 100 yuan including transportation and tickets, convenient for those who couldn't drive. The journey took about an hour. We brought dry provisions for breakfast; rice noodles were available there. We left around 7:30 AM for Stone City, arriving in less than 30 minutes, with stops along the way. We could spend about 2 hours in Stone City, visiting the ancient city gates and stone folk houses—it's free. Lunch was at a farmhouse there; three of us spent only 85 yuan on one meat dish and two vegetable dishes. Because it was a low-traffic time, there was no need to worry! We had no contact with strangers except for a few restaurant staff. After lunch, we rode for another 20 minutes to a spot where a hill meets a plain. Looking west toward the sun was very beautiful, with paddy fields creating reflections and glimmers. It was definitely worth waiting for the sunset there! After the sun set, we rode toward Putao Town and then onto Route 321. Traveling on the national highway for about 30 minutes brought us back to Yangshuo county. After such a tiring day, their itinerary was basically complete. The lady was very happy and decided to treat me to a meal at Master Chef Beer Fish restaurant, thanking me for helping them plan the route and for the beautiful scenery and sunshine that accompanied their journey. The next day they were to take the bullet train from Yangshuo Station back to Nanning. They stayed at Earth Village Yishan Hostel.

Day 4: In the morning, the hotel had a shared car service to Yangshuo High-Speed Rail Station. We discussed chartering a car, which was about the same price as sharing, so we went directly to the station, completing a joyful family trip to Guilin and Yangshuo. The child saw many new and curious things during the trip, asking endless questions. While we were busy enjoying the scenery, we also had to promptly answer the child's questions.

Over the whole trip, we had contact with outsiders only twice: on the two high-speed rail rides, during which we were very cautious—wearing masks throughout, not eating snacks in public places, and bringing our own disinfectant alcohol. Once at Master Chef Beer Fish, I dined with the family of three, all healthy individuals. As for expenses: we booked good rooms for the family. In Guilin, it cost 160 yuan; in Yangshuo Earth Village Yishan Hostel it cost 228 yuan per night for two nights, totaling 616 yuan. Food was not too expensive, totaling about 1,009 yuan. Water was provided free and unlimited at Yishan Hostel. Tickets for three people: (55 + 79 + 60) × 3 = 582 yuan. Bullet train tickets: 127 × 3 + 154.5 × 3 = 463.5 yuan, totaling 1,045.5 yuan. The total cost for this trip was 2,670.5 yuan. Very affordable.