Morning slow-cooked congee, noon sour fish soup, evening Luosifen — Shenzhen tourists go here on weekends

Where to go for cross-provincial travel from Shenzhen

"Which province have you traveled to the most?" someone always asks, knowing that I have been all over the country. As Shenzhen resumes cross-provincial tourism, locals start pondering where to go — the choice before departure is always harder than the trip itself. For me, the province I have visited most frequently is Guangxi, and the places I have been to most in Guangxi are Guilin, Hezhou, Liuzhou, Chongzuo, Beihai, and southeastern Guangxi.

The three-hour city tourism circle by high-speed rail

I remember over a decade ago, I was crazy about going to Guilin and Yangshuo, hiking along the Li River, cycling, rafting, and rock climbing. I even climbed Tianma Mountain, Xilang Mountain, and Yuping Mountain on the outskirts of Yangshuo. At night I stayed on West Street, ate beer fish, and went to bars to listen to music. I went almost every weekend — took a bus on Friday night, stayed in Yangshuo on Saturday, then rushed back to Shenzhen for work early Monday morning. I spent both Friday and Sunday nights on the bus. Now high-speed trains from Shenzhen can reach Guilin, Hezhou, Liuzhou, and other places in Guangxi. Even if you don't want to drive or take a bus, you can get there easily. The reason I love traveling to Guangxi is first of all the convenience. Guangxi is adjacent to Guangdong, and even a weekend trip is feasible.

From Shenzhen to Guilin, it used to take almost the whole night by car. Now the high-speed train takes just over two hours and 50 minutes. The "super railway crossing the Karst" — the Guiyang-Guangzhou and Nanning-Guangzhou high-speed railways — connect Guangdong, Guangxi, and Guizhou. These high-speed trains link 13 tourist cities along the three provinces, turning the region into a "three-hour city tourism circle." The high-speed rail has created a "fast travel, slow play" and "one line, multiple destinations" travel style in Guilin, Liuzhou, and Hezhou, allowing you to easily spend a weekend in Yangshuo, the backyard of Shenzhen, without having to travel all night.

How to choose between Guilin, Liuzhou, and Hezhou

On the cliffside inscriptions of Duxiu Peak in Jingjiang Princes' City in Guilin, the phrase "Guilin's landscape is the best under heaven" is known throughout China. Even abroad, some people know Guilin for its "green mountains, clear waters, spectacular caves, and beautiful rocks." When traveling abroad and chatting with backpackers, the places they ask about most in China are the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, the Terracotta Warriors, and Guilin's landscape. In terms of scenery, Guangxi's natural landscapes are magnificent, with unique geological formations that are second to none in the country. So what can you see in the three cities of Guilin, Liuzhou, and Hezhou? Some people summarize them as "World Guilin," "Charming Liuzhou," and "Longevity Hezhou."

Guilin's landscape is a global tourist landmark. Most foreign visitors to Guangxi's first activity is to take a boat trip on the Li River. I prefer hiking along the Li River, from Yangdi to Xingping — a 15-kilometer riverside trail that feels like walking through a ten-mile gallery. I've done it many times without getting tired; it's more immersive than a boat ride. From Yangshuo town, I ride a bicycle to the upstream pier of the Yulong River, then hand the bike to the boatman, and take a bamboo raft downstream — the long route is 6 kilometers, the short one is 2 kilometers. Occasionally I jump off the raft for a swim, and I can hear the antiphonal singing performance of "Liu Sanjie and the Three Scholars."

Guilin is actually very large. Besides the well-known Li River, there are many different landforms and landscapes. In spring, go to the lush Longji Rice Terraces in Longsheng; in autumn, visit Haiyang Township to see golden ginkgo leaves; in summer, drift on the emerald waters of Shangri-La; at night, photograph fishing fires and cormorants in Yangshuo, feeling the charm of fishermen's songs at dusk. There's also Elephant Trunk Hill in Xiangshan District, Duxiu Peak in Jingjiang Princes' City, the underground palaces of Reed Flute Cave and Silver Cave, the "group of snails gazing at the sky" at Bajiaozhai in Ziyuan County, the waterfall at Gudong, and the old streets of West Street. You could drive around for days and still not see everything.

In the past, when the green train passed through Liuzhou station, I almost never got off. Tourists' impressions of Liuzhou mostly come from its cuisine — Luosifen (snail rice noodles). Actually, Liuzhou also has many famous attractions, such as the "Chengyang Eight Villages" in Sanjiang. This thousand-household Dong village is located at the junction of Guangxi, Hunan, and Guizhou in Sanjiang Dong Autonomous County. After the Guiyang-Guangzhou high-speed railway opened, you can take a high-speed train from Shenzhen North Station directly to Sanjiang South Station in just three and a half hours. In 2013, we drove to Sanjiang County — 780 kilometers, some sections of the road were rough, and it took nearly 11 hours, almost the whole day in the car.

Chengyang Eight Villages is home to the world's largest wind-rain bridge — Chengyang Yongji Bridge, one of the four great historical bridges in the world. The ancient bridge spans the Linxi River beside the Eight Villages. Its structure uses no iron nails; instead, holes are chiseled in pillars and connected with mortise and tenon joints. On the bridge are five four-story pagoda-style pavilions with multiple corners. There are railings on both sides of the corridor, allowing visitors to sit and enjoy the views of both banks. Besides Yongji Bridge, there are many wooden village buildings worth photographing in Chengyang Eight Villages. I especially enjoy listening to the "Drum Tower Grand Song," watching reed-pipe dances, and the Duoye dance.

Hezhou is the place where I have done the most in-depth travel in Guangxi. At first, I went for the mountains and waters, but unexpectedly, I became obsessed with Hezhou's ancient villages and stockades. The earliest visit was to the thousand-year-old town of Huangyao, staying in a guesthouse in an old courtyard. I walked and photographed every corner — the bohemian alley of Liyu Street, lingering at the Sima Mansion, watching locals washing vegetables and clothes at the Xianren Ancient Well, seeing beautifully dressed women coming and going on the ancient bridge, visiting the old stage and the watchtower, and strolling under the Longzhao Banyan tree. I also learned from locals how to make "Eighteen Stuffed Delicacies," took a bamboo raft to see the Huangyao landscapes, and even dressed in ancient costumes for photos.

Besides Huangyao Ancient Town, Hezhou has many ancient Yao villages with few tourists and simple folk customs, perfect for self-driving tours. The "Xiaohe Ancient Road" built by Emperor Qin Shi Huang passes through Fuchuan Yao Autonomous County in Hezhou, also known as "Fuchuan Post Road." There are many Yao stockades along the road. Once visited, unforgettable: Fu Xi Village's thousand-year-old Yao stockade, Cha Shan Village's oil tea and shuttle-shaped cakes, Hu Tou Village's colorful fishing village murals, and Nan Xiang Village's Xixi Forest Hot Springs. Locals summarize it as: "Sightseeing in Fuxi, eating in Chashan, staying in Hutou, soaking in Nanxiang."

"Eat healthily, breathe freely, sleep sweetly" — Hezhou's water quality, air, and natural environment are excellent, earning it the reputation of a longevity township. I attended the Hezhou Longevity Culture Festival twice. Once I stayed at Gupo Mountain in Hezhou; there was no need for air conditioning even in summer. This is the filming location for the TV dramas "Tea Is My Hometown" and "Wine Is My Family". At Gupo Mountain, you can not only hike but also play in streams, taste tea in a bamboo house in the middle of a tea plantation, and visit the distillery where the dramas were shot. Nearby is the Shibashui scenic area, where rafting is super fun. You can also visit the Ziyun Cave in the Ziyun Wonderland, which is cool in summer and warm in winter.

In Huangtian Town, Hezhou, there is a unique Yushilin (Jade Forest) scenic area, covered with Han jade pillars, stone forests, and stalagmites formed during the Cambrian period. In good weather, they look stunning — the whole mountain is jade, but you can't take any away. The main trail takes nearly two hours to complete. After climbing to the top, there is a 460-meter-long granite stone slide that requires just a little courage, and you'll slide down the mountain in a flash. Outsiders may not know about the Jade Forest, but it is very popular locally. On the narrow path up the mountain, you see an endless stream of visitors.

Heartfelt cultural landscapes

Guangxi's scenery can capture your eyes, but its cultural landscapes capture your heart. Guangxi has twelve ethnic groups, with a large minority population. Among them, the Zhuang, Yao, Mulao, Maonan, and Jing ethnic minorities have the largest populations in the country. The food culture and costume culture of these minorities are undoubtedly the most profound memories for tourists. In Chongzuo, I watched the Longzhou Tianqin Women's Singing Group perform "Singing Tianyao." The moment several Zhuang girls (inheritors of intangible cultural heritage) appeared on stage, I was awe-struck even before they sang. Elegant black Zhuang robes with red trim, red buttons, red pendants, and bells on their toes, ringing in rhythm with the music.

Speaking of Guangxi's cuisine, people naturally think of Luosifen. The craft of making Liuzhou Luosifen is already an intangible cultural heritage. The aroma of snail noodles permeates every street and alley. On a Liuzhou Luosifen map, there are 26 recommended restaurants, and countless small stalls and eateries. In addition to Luosifen, Guangxi also has Guilin rice noodles, Nanning old friend noodles, and rolled (rice) noodles. Once we drove to Baise, and Lonely Planet recommended local rolled noodles. On Guanghe Street and Wenming Street, there was an unassuming little shop — Sanhe Rolled Noodle Shop — with a 20-year history. Locals queue up to buy. Minced meat, black fungus, bean sprouts, long beans, and greens are rolled in a thin, chewy sheet of rice noodle, forming a noodle roll. Dip in various sweet and sour sauces. Even children can eat two or three in one go.

Wuzhou's turtle jelly, Yulin's beef bā (dried beef), Gongcheng's oil tea, Lipu's taro — all are indispensable foods for Guangxi travel. What impressed me most, however, was the "Bamboo Tray Feast": five-colored glutinous rice, mugwort leaf cakes, fried river shrimp, small river fish, roast pork, steamed sweet potatoes and taro, and white-cut chicken, all placed in a huge bamboo tray — colorful, aromatic, and delicious, and in line with modern dietary concepts. On Pingxiang Food Street, cheap and delicious fruit mixes and sour pickles are everywhere. The sour pickles (yesuan) are usually made with fruits like mango and peach, or even vegetables like radish, cucumber, and lotus root, pickled with vinegar and sugar — sweet and sour. But when I tried the "qu tou dan" (almost-hatched duck eggs), I really had to muster up courage to eat them.

"Morning slow-cooked congee, noon sour fish soup, evening Luosifen" — people use this phrase to describe the convenience of high-speed rail weekend trips to Guangxi. As Shenzhen is orderly resuming cross-provincial tourism, choosing a nearby and fun destination, Guangxi is the best choice. You can find your destination along three themed travel routes: landscapes, folk customs, and red tourism. If departing from Shenzhen and you don't want the hassle of long-distance travel, try taking the high-speed train to explore Guilin, Liuzhou, and Hezhou.

Some of the text and photos in this travelogue are original by "Traveler Laohu." Without my consent, no one is allowed to publish the text and images (including but not limited to screenshots, screen captures, or conversion to video) under any name.