Poetry and the Horizon: Pausing at the Summit of Ruyi Peak

Life, rhythms, amidst the hustle and bustle, upon reaching the age of thirty, I have felt a long-suppressed heaviness in my heart for some time, longing to find a quiet and serene place to seek poetry and the horizon.

They say nature is a jug of fine wine that intoxicates;

they say nature is a spring breeze that soothes the soul;

they say nature is a freshness, elegant yet distinctive;

they say nature is a melody, tranquil and endlessly evocative.

Close to nature, I always feel that is where my heart yearns to be.

I vaguely recall the innocent days of youth, when in the classroom the sound of recitation included “Guilin’s landscape is unmatched under heaven,” and Guilin became a place I longed for. It seemed that at any moment I could be there, gazing at the mountains, at the green waters, listening to the croaking of frogs, and smelling the fragrance of osmanthus. In the midsummer of the Xin Chou year, I packed my bags and set off on my journey of poetry and the horizon.

I came without much planning, arrived without much thought, and without making many preparations, I reached the legendary Guilin Yangshuo. After getting off the high-speed rail and taking a bus to Yangshuo County, I rented a bicycle and slowly rode through the landscape, as if I too had become part of it. The gentle breeze brushed my face, and I always felt the air was so fragrant; I wanted to breathe deeply, yet feared to disturb this tranquility.

Along the way, I bypassed the main roads and arrived at a path that followed a river. Mountains, water, fields, and the road merged before my eyes, as if this were where Wu Daozi had splashed his ink. I found a guesthouse to stay in, and upon asking the innkeeper, I learned the river was called Yulong. Indeed, unless one sees the dragon, how can one behold such a scene? I asked the innkeeper if there was any place to climb a mountain for a view, and he recommended Ruyi Peak, said to be one of the highest peaks in Yangshuo and the best spot to appreciate the “Ten-Mile Gallery.”

After cycling for about 40 minutes, before even reaching my destination, I could already see several higher peaks among the mountains from afar, and faintly make out facilities on them: cable cars, a red bridge, and a circular viewing platform. A few minutes later, I arrived at the ticket center, purchased my ticket, and entered the scenic area.

While checking the ticket, I chatted briefly with the staff. Apparently, this scenic area was developed only in recent years, opening to the public only last year. The entire route involves taking the cable car to the fourth peak, then walking along the mountain path via a suspension bridge to reach the Cloud Summit, then proceeding through the Forest Walk to the Glass Plank Road, and finally returning to the fourth peak to take the cable car down, estimated to take about two hours. But for me, it might take longer, as I tend to linger longer when I encounter beautiful scenery.

I had always thought cable cars were thrilling and exciting, but this ride truly impressed me—not because of how luxurious the equipment was, but because of the feeling of looking down at the Yangshuo mountains from high above. I couldn’t put it into words exactly, but there seemed to be some vague memory, like looking at clouds from an airplane, or like the scene of the Great Sage soaring through the air in *Journey to the West*. I couldn’t help but marvel—how did the ancient landscape painters ever achieve such a view? The 360-degree panorama of mountains and rivers was truly refreshing and delightful to the eyes.

For the remainder of the journey, every step brought a new scene. I spent a full four hours walking on the peaks, taking no fewer than 400 photos. I’ll select a few to upload.

Ticket price: List price 260 RMB/person, online price 240 RMB/person

Overall rating: I personally give it 4.7 stars (out of 5).