2007 Guilin-Lijiang-Yangshuo-Longji 5-Day Tour

From December 23 to 29, 2007, my husband and I spontaneously decided to travel to Guilin. Although Guilin had long been a place we yearned to visit, this time it only took us a week from deciding to go to actually setting off—our most efficient trip ever. (We've been planning a trip to Yunnan for four years, and we still haven't gone yet.) The reasons we managed to go were: 1) End-of-year annual leave; both my husband and I had 5 days left. 2) Airline ticket promotion; round-trip tickets to Guilin were 30% off. 3) The route is well-established; with a quick online search, we found plenty of experiences from predecessors, and the destination perfectly suited a 5-day itinerary. 4) I remembered a text from my school days—the Lijiang River; childhood memories drew us there.

Dec 23, 06:00. Set off at 6 a.m. by taxi to Beijing Capital Airport (64). 10:40. Arrived in Guilin. Took a bus to downtown Guilin (40). 12:00. Took a bus from the main bus station to Gudu Waterfall (16). 13:30. Enjoyed Gudu Waterfall (ticket 120, straw sandals 10, shuttle 8). 16:30. Took a bus from Gudu to Daxu (5). 17:40. Took a bus from Daxu to Guilin (7.5). 19:20. Guilin to Yangshuo (30). 21:40. Dinner in Yangshuo (20 + 3 for corn juice). 22:30. Bedtime (60).

We took the early flight and arrived in Guilin around noon. We couldn't waste the remaining half day, so at my urging we went to Gudu Waterfall near Guilin. It's not a famous spot, but my husband confused it with the famous Detian Waterfall in Nanning, so he was especially supportive. The waterfall itself wasn't very interesting, but I'd read online about the exciting waterfall trek and couldn't resist trying it. However, our timing was a bit off. In December, Guilin's temperature is only around 10°C, making playing in the water quite cold. But for adventure, we gritted it out. Although I really wanted to try, I was a bit scared. Putting on straw sandals made the rocks less slippery, but we still had to climb up by gripping the iron chains with both hands. Within five minutes, I was drenched in sweat and no longer felt cold. The waterfall has six sections; the first is the most thrilling. After passing the first, we gained more confidence. The later sections were still a bit dangerous, but we were already familiar with the technique. At the top, there was free ginger soup. Even though I usually can't stand the smell of ginger, I pinched my nose and drank it—I didn't want to catch a cold before actually exploring Guilin.

Daxu (pronounced Xū, first tone; I kept mispronouncing it as Yū at first, and no one knew where I wanted to go. After being corrected by my husband countless times, I finally remembered) is one of the four ancient towns in Guangxi. Since it hasn't started charging admission yet, we took advantage of it even at the risk of missing the last bus—I dragged my husband there. Because it's free, there's hardly any commercial atmosphere and few tourists. Unless you're a folk culture scholar, it's not recommended to visit.

My husband and I got a bit anxious on the way from Guilin to Yangshuo. We heard there was a traffic accident, and no vehicles could return. We were delayed by over two hours and kept debating whether to wait it out or find a hotel and reconsider. My husband stayed calm and insisted on pressing on to Yangshuo that night. We stuck it out at the bus station, and fortunately, we finally arrived in Yangshuo after 9 p.m.

This season is the low season for Yangshuo, and by this hour most inns had already closed. With persistence and bargaining, we managed to get a room for 60 per night—I'm still satisfied with that deal. I recommend Guangyue Guild Hall. There's a free computer in the lobby for internet use, it's not far from the busy street, and it's quiet. The room has air conditioning and a private bathroom. For dinner, we settled for simple noodle soup. I highly recommend the freshly squeezed corn juice; during our stay in Yangshuo, we had at least one cup a day. I even thought about opening a chain in Beijing just so I could drink as much as I want—corn is anti-cancer.

Dec 24, 09:30. Woke up, had breakfast (6.5). 10:10. Bus from Yangshuo to Yangdi (16 bus + 40 Yangdi ticket). 11:30. Drifted from Yangdi to Xingping (70). 14:30. Lunch (65). 17:00. Xingping Pier. 18:00. Bus from Xingping back to Yangshuo (11). 19:30. Impression Liu Sanjie (60). 21:30. Dinner (79). 22:50. Bedtime (60).

During our days in Yangshuo, we generally slept late and woke late, but being able to sleep in was a blessing for me, who normally has to catch a shuttle to Huairou every day. The young people who took the bus with us were all planning to hike. My husband and I weren't afraid of the exertion, but we really wanted to try the bamboo raft. Sitting on the raft and admiring the dreamlike Lijiang River, we sought the memories from our childhood textbooks. To set the mood, my husband downloaded an old song "I Want to Visit Guilin" in the morning, but we should have downloaded more songs by Liu Sanjie. Along the way, the boatman told us about the scenery of the Lijiang, his childhood stories, and the changes in his hometown.

At noon, we met a couple of fellow travelers, also from Beijing. Interestingly, the world is really small—we discovered we had mutual colleagues. For lunch, we ordered the "stone rock fish" strongly recommended by the boatman, which was actually catfish (I think), and braised mountain chicken. The fish was good, but the chicken was a bit tough and not very tasty.

In the afternoon, we arrived at Xingping, which is the back of the 20-yuan note. We all held up a 20-yuan bill and took photos as if we were receiving a certificate. Xingping is an ancient town, now quite commercial. It's said that things here are cheaper than in Yangshuo, but since it was late and many stalls had closed, I only bought a scarf because it was a bit cold on the bamboo raft.

In the evening, we went to see Impression Liu Sanjie. Some online mentioned renting a bamboo raft to watch from the side, but we learned that bamboo rafts had been banned there long ago. Initially, 130 per person seemed expensive, so we thought about giving up. Then a local woman offered to take us for 30 per person, but the viewing spot was quite off. Tempted by the price, we went, but afterward we felt we should have bought the 130-yuan tickets. Tonight was Christmas Eve, which was one reason we chose to visit Yangshuo—to experience the Christmas atmosphere on West Street. Unfortunately, it wasn't as lively as we expected. There was only a live band, and not many people.

Dec 25, 09:45. Set off, breakfast (7.5). 10:30. Bicycle ride through the mountains (bike rental 10 + mountain tangerines 2). 11:30. Drifting from Chaoyang Pier (60). 17:00. Dinner—beer fish (75). 19:00. Strolled on West Street (81). 21:00. Bedtime (60).

Online someone described a bicycle route. We weren't familiar with the way but didn't want to spend money on a guide, so we braved it. At first, we took a wrong turn; the mountain roads made us lose confidence, so we turned back to find a guide. This time we got on the right track. The drifting at Chaoyang Pier was different from the Lijiang; it was more like a small stream in Jiangnan, with cool water. If it weren't winter, we could have swum. The channel here is narrow and the current is fast. During flood season, drifting would be thrilling, but now it was the dry season, so it wasn't as interesting, though the scenery was still beautiful.

In the afternoon, we cycled to Moon Hill, Big Banyan Tree, Gongnong Bridge, and Aishan Village. To save on admission, we didn't enter Moon Hill—just looked from afar. Big Banyan Tree was interesting; we found a quiet path and sneaked in—I won't go into details, we'll rely on luck.

Beer fish is a famous local dish. Perhaps because it's so famous, the price has risen over the years. On the way back, we found Sister Xie's restaurant on the outskirts; the price was much better than in town. As for the taste, it was indeed good—maybe we were just hungry.

Dec 26, 09:00. Set off, breakfast (6). 09:30. Silver Cave (100). 12:20. Lunch (14.5). 12:20. Bus back to Guilin (20). 15:00. Jingjiang Prince's Mansion (2). 18:30. Dinner (45). 21:00. Accommodation (70).

There are many karst caves in Guilin, and opinions vary, but Silver Cave generally has no negative reviews. At my husband's request, we caught the earliest bus to Silver Cave. The cave was indeed beautiful, mainly due to commercial development—the lighting and commentary brought the silent stalactites to life. For lunch, we had a simple stone pot meal near the bus station, recommended online, but maybe our tastes differ—we didn't find it particularly good.

When we returned to Guilin, it was still early, so we walked to Jingjiang Prince's Mansion. It's part of a university, so it's free for non-tourists. We pretended to be students and sneaked in, saving the ticket fee. But later we learned that the most worthwhile part isn't the buildings but the Tai Sui temple inside, which you can't enter without a ticket. Ha, we then caught up with a tour group and sneaked in again, but finally, afraid of angering the Tai Sui, we threw in 2 yuan as incense money.

Dec 27, 08:00. Breakfast (4.3). 09:30. Longji one-day tour (240 + 15 lunch). 19:30. Dinner (52). 21:30. Accommodation (70).

Longji was the place I most wanted to go. Seeing the spectacular terraced fields in photos, I dreamed of going. But the weather didn't cooperate—it had been raining and foggy for days, no sun in sight. However, I wouldn't give up without trying. In the end, my sincerity didn't move the heavens; our entire trip to the terraced fields was shrouded in rain and fog, and we couldn't see the true face. Though regrettable, I still feel it was worth it to experience the terraced fields up close. Best of all, we ate authentic bamboo tube rice, which was incredibly fragrant.

Dec 28, 09:30. Breakfast (10). 10:30. Two Rivers and Four Lakes day tour (30). 19:30. Movie "Assembly" (60). 21:30. Night market (23). 23:00. Accommodation (70).

It started raining early in the morning, but since we were traveling, we wanted to make the most of every minute. Guilin city isn't very large, and adhering to the spirit of power walking, we toured the Two Rivers and Four Lakes on foot. Because our shoes weren't waterproof, they were soaked by noon, so we returned to the hotel to rest and dry them. In the afternoon, we set out again. It was only because we're young that we could keep walking—otherwise, we wouldn't have been able to. This experience made us determined to buy a pair of waterproof hiking shoes.

Dec 29, 08:30. Breakfast (5.3 + 17.5 for taro from the morning market). 09:00. Set off for the airport (42.5).

It was time to go home. I did miss home a bit.