Following my inner voice, I went to the place I wanted - Chongzuo!

It's been a day or two since returning from Guangxi, and the aftertaste is still especially strong. In particular, these two days, I saw news that Detian Waterfall in Chongzuo is now free for 'big frozen pears' (a term for tourists from Northeast China), and I can't help but feel emotional. The landscapes and culture of our motherland are touching everywhere!

About the planning of this trip:

As someone who loves to travel so much, although I had already been to Beihai and Weizhou Island in Guangxi before, I always held a mysterious reverence for Chongzuo. I really wanted to know what a country that borders us by land, the actual national border, looks like. Coincidentally, due to a work schedule adjustment this time, I only needed to take two days off to get a consecutive seven-day break, which made me choose Guangxi again without hesitation. Moreover, January in Nanjing might be the coldest place in the country in winter, so I quickly fled with my parents!

D1: Nanjing - Guilin - Xingping Ancient Town

D2: Yangshuo -十里画廊 (Shili Gallery) - Fuli Bridge

D3: Guilin - Two Rivers and Four Lakes

D4: Nanning - Qingxiu Mountain

D5: Chongzuo - Detian Waterfall - Sandie Ridge Waterfall

D6: Jingxi - Goose Spring - Nanning - Nanjing

The reason for designing the itinerary this way was also to let my parents check off the back of the 20 yuan bill. Having worked for so many years, I've taken my parents on free and independent trips both domestically and internationally every year, so they've seen quite a lot. But such iconic travel spots as the 20 yuan bill must hold special emotions for people born in the 1950s.

When I arrived at Guilin Airport, someone delivered a car to me, and I started my self-driving trip. I went to Yangshuo first, then returned to Guilin, where I returned the car at the hotel I stayed at in Guilin. Then I took the high-speed train to Nanning (this leg was a bit long, and I didn't want to drive alone). I picked up another car at Nanning East Station and returned it at Nanning Airport. Although it was a bit tiring for me to drive alone, it prevented the elders from feeling the fatigue of travel, and everything else was easy to manage. Plus, it's still the off-season for tourism in Guangxi, so costs for car rental and accommodation were not too high. After returning, I calculated that the expenses were roughly the same as using public transportation, but we saved a lot of time. (I'll elaborate on the return experience later.) Once again, I'm grateful for my parents' healthy bodies. Although they are over 70, they didn't experience any tiredness, foot pain, or difficulty walking throughout the trip. Also, I took advantage of their preferential policies to skip queues at boarding and scenic spots.

I booked the car rental company and vehicle model in advance on the app. At the agreed time and place, they arranged for someone to deliver and pick up the car. Before booking, while selecting, I checked historical reviews, vehicle condition, age, etc. If there were no major issues, I would proceed to order. Of course, the two car rental handovers in Guilin and Nanning were different: The car in Guilin had no scratches; the delivery guy said, 'The rental car must not have scratches, otherwise it would be hard to clarify when returning.' The car in Nanning had various scratches; the guy said, 'It's normal for rental cars to have scratches, but we record every scratch and defect on video and send it to you for confirmation. Of course, if you're not reassured, you can also check again yourself.' This way, responsibilities are clear. The good thing is that nowadays, business is online and based on integrity; there were no disputes over unclear issues throughout the process. The pickup and return processes were very convenient.

D1. Xingping Ancient Town

Xingping Ancient Town was our first destination on this trip. It's the best viewing spot for the 20 yuan bill landmark. Actually, if you take a boat from Guilin to Yangshuo, you'll pass by it along the way. This ancient town is small; you can walk from one end to the other. Inside, there are mostly some photo studios and a few shops selling 'local specialties' with little character. For people like us from the Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai areas with free shipping, an ancient town isn't particularly worth visiting. Parking here is different from our customs; basically, it's private parking lots on their own land, leveled and charged for parking. It costs 10-30 yuan per time, and you can haggle a bit. We parked at the entrance of the ancient town for 10 yuan. The shop owner also said that the 20 yuan landmark is about 2 kilometers away and asked if we wanted an electric cart. We usually exercise at home, so 2 kilometers wasn't too strenuous. Plus, there were many stalls along the way, so it was enjoyable to browse, haggle, and eat along the way.

Actually, there are many other attractions near Xingping Ancient Town, such as Gongfu Mountain. Climbing to the top gives a panoramic view of the beauty of the Li River. It's said to be great for sunrise photos. Since we were with elderly parents, we didn't climb it. If you have enough time, you can give it a try!

D2. Yangshuo West Street

After leaving Xingping Ancient Town, we drove back to Yangshuo County. The roads were all county roads, narrow with many tricycles, so we had to drive slowly. The 25-kilometer journey took us about 40 minutes. We saw many sugar orange trees by the roadside. Since it was the first day, we weren't in a hurry to buy.

We stayed in Yangshuo County that night. We chose a hotel near the Li River, about 600 meters from Yangshuo West Street, mainly because we were worried that hotels near West Street would have noisy bars at night. Our choice proved wise: it was neither too close nor too far, and walking to West Street was pleasant.

Accommodation here is mostly homestays, none with their own parking lots. For self-driving, you need to contact the homestay; they'll send you a location and tell you where to park, costing 20 yuan. Parking fees here are basically 20 yuan, so don't expect hourly rates like back home.

This Starbucks in West Street is the only one in Yangshuo, with a very Chinese-style decoration. You can take the indoor elevator to the second or third floor observation deck, where photos turn out great. The night view is beautiful. From the third floor, you can overlook the entire West Street. Since today was the only rainy day (and heavy rain) of our entire trip, we didn't go up to take photos.

Yangshuo in the mist and rain has a unique charm, but the rain was so heavy today that we drove through Shili Gallery (Ten-Mile Gallery) instead. Our photographer was also acting as the driver, so no photos were taken. They say the eyes are the best camera, so we used this 'artificial camera' to record the scenery along the way!

This attraction wasn't originally in our itinerary, but when we chatted with the homestay owner that night, he said it was worth visiting, though the road wasn't great. But how could we let the beautiful scenery be wasted? We were lucky: when we drove out of Shili Gallery, the rain stopped. By the time we reached Zhengfang Village, the rain had just cleared up.

Following the navigation to Zhengfang Village, Fuli Bridge was not far. There was also a parking lot by the roadside, 10 yuan per time. This scenic area is small, but the scenery is superb! A casual shot looks like a postcard! There was also an aunt selling kumquats at the scenic spot, very cheap compared to our area. Moreover, the fruits shipped to our area are usually not fully ripe, so they have thick skins and lack the thin skin and juiciness of the local ones. Perhaps because they were from her own orchard, we bought a lot and also gave some away. The villagers, with their rustic simplicity, were very kind. I kept telling my parents that I had never eaten such crisp and sweet kumquats. How pathetic I am!

D3. Guilin:

That night we stayed at the Quanji Hotel (Two Rivers and Four Lakes Branch) in Guilin. This should be the city center of Guilin, not far from anywhere. It's less than 2 kilometers from Elephant Trunk Hill Park, and across the street are the East-West Alley and Jingjiang Prince's Mansion. The key thing is we found a particularly delicious roast goose restaurant, Chunji Roast Goose. Highly recommended here!

Oh, by the way, I didn't mention what we ate in Yangshuo. In Yangshuo, the streets are full of beer fish. I was curious before: what is beer fish? Later, I found out it's just fish cooked with a bottle of beer. I was speechless, just like on Weizhou Island when a dish called 'banana pig' turned out to be pigs that eat bananas, not pork cooked with bananas. But honestly, it wasn't particularly tasty. However, in the morning, they have oil tea in Guilin, which I hadn't tried before. It's quite unique; you should give it a try. It's made by frying ginger, tea leaves, garlic, scallions, and rice in a pot, then adding water to boil. When drinking, you add puffed rice and some other things I can't name, and add salt or sugar to taste. I've never had anything like it in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, or Shanghai.

Back to Chunji Roast Goose: Before departure, I saw many recommendations for this restaurant on social platforms. I planned to eat there, and coincidentally, our hotel had one next door, just 80 meters away. This restaurant seems to be a place where locals hold banquets, but it also has a separate area for walk-in customers, relatively quiet. The kitchen is open-style, and the dishes come with labels indicating the chef, making it easy to assign responsibility. The restaurant is very proper, with generous portions. Our family of three ordered four dishes and couldn't finish them; it was a bit wasteful. But the taste was far better than the pre-made dishes at many chain restaurants. The roast goose and spicy goose head were delicious!

To be honest, after returning from Yangshuo, I truly understand what people used to say: 'Guilin's landscape is the best under heaven, and Yangshuo's landscape is the best in Guilin.' Yangshuo raised our aesthetic threshold too high, so even Elephant Trunk Hill didn't excite us much.

We took a taxi from the hotel, costing 7.8 yuan. I initially told the driver to go to Gate 1 of Elephant Trunk Hill Park (I'd read in guides that Gates 1 and 3 are entrances, and Gate 2 is an exit), wanting to enter from Gate 1 and exit from Gate 2. But the driver said Gate 1 is at the elephant's rear; the optimal route is to enter from Gate 3, walk to the elephant's rear, and then exit from Gate 2. On the way, the driver also mentioned that at the elephant's rear, there's a local Sanhua wine cellar. When you walk there, you'll smell the aroma of wine. We went and smelled it, and it was true! Indeed, Chinese people don't cheat each other!

Elephant Trunk Hill can be climbed to the top. If you have time, you can climb it; it's not high, takes about 5 minutes, and offers a different view!

On the way back from Elephant Trunk Hill to the hotel, we asked locals which rice noodle shop was good. They recommended Tianyuan Rice Noodles. I checked the map and saw it was 400 meters from our hotel. I thought of being lazy and ordering delivery, but found it wasn't available for delivery! I was puzzled! I had to walk there myself. When I arrived, I realized I was the clown!

I originally wanted to order fancy toppings, but I saw locals just ordering 2 liang (about 100g) of noodles (5.5 yuan) without anything else. I followed suit and succeeded: three of us ate for 17 yuan, quite full. There are two types of noodles: rice noodles (round) and cut noodles (flat). You can choose either; same price. Personally, I think cut noodles taste better.

Departing for Nanning in the afternoon!

For the leg from Guilin to Nanning, we chose the high-speed train. Driving alone would be tiring. If there were several people to take turns driving, I believe it would be more interesting than the high-speed train!

We saw the sunset in Nanning. After picking up the rental car at East Station, we drove to the hotel. That night, we chose a hotel opposite Pingxi Night Market. After dropping off our luggage, we walked to Pingxi Night Market for dinner.

There was also sticky rice: bottom layer of glutinous rice, middle layer of mung bean paste, costing 3 yuan per serving. If you add a sausage, it's 5 yuan. We added sausage, and when we bit into it, the oil sizzled, and the texture was amazing!

The stall with the longest queue seemed to be a popular internet-famous spot, so we chose it. It's a bit like our malatang; they cook things in a pot of braised sauce, then you pick what you want, and they dip it in a snail soup to heat it up!

D4. Qingxiu Mountain

As the highlight of Nanning, Qingxiu Mountain. On the red platform (Xiaohongshu), many people recommend this place. It's actually the botanical garden of Nanning. Because it's huge, the scenic area's shuttle bus charges per ride. Optimizing the route was confusing when I was planning! Later, when I got there and looked at the map, I understood the logic: if you only have one day, you must first decide which spots you want to visit (they might be distributed across the east, south, west, and north gates). But as long as you have a map of the shuttle bus routes and stops, you can see where everything is. The shuttle bus costs 5 yuan per ride; if you want another ride, you need to buy another ticket.

Unbelievably, Qingxiu Mountain is so beautiful! There really is a real 'Wizard of Oz'! We parked at the north gate parking lot. This parking lot should be public: I think the first hour is 5 yuan, then 2 yuan for each additional hour.

After entering from the north gate, don't take the shuttle bus first. The classic Shade Plant Garden is near the north gate, just a short walk away!

The mist here is released on the hour, for three minutes each time. If you want to take photos, you can time it! Actually, it releases every half hour, so it's easy to catch!

After visiting the Shade Plant Garden, we went back to the north gate and took the shuttle bus to Guanyin Zen Temple. This temple is very popular; it's said that Nanning locals used to pray here. We also ordered a bowl of vegetarian Luohan noodles to accumulate merit! By noon, we were hungry, and the noodles were quite tasty!

After eating, we left the temple and walked a few hundred meters to the Taohuawu (Peach Blossom Wharf) stop. There's a popular photo spot called 'Ancient and Modern, Chinese and Foreign,' where an ancient pavilion and the distant modern city are framed together.

Since there were no peach blossoms at Taohuawu recently, we just took photos and then left by shuttle bus. Later, when buying tickets again, the staff told us which spots still had flowers and which didn't, so we could skip them. I originally wanted to go to the east gate to see bougainvillea, but the staff said the blooms had ended recently, so we didn't take the bus there. Next time I have the chance, I'll come again; it's so beautiful!

After leaving Qingxiu Mountain, we made a quick supply stop at the nearby Mixc (Wanda Plaza) and prepared to head to Chongzuo. I know there are many fun things in Nanning, but compared to city scenery, I prefer the rare sights of mountains, rivers, and waterfalls.

On the way from Nanning to Chongzuo, we took the Nahe Expressway (Hepu to Napo). This expressway is known as one of the most beautiful highways in the world. Self-driving friends must experience it for themselves. Since the photographer was again acting as driver on this section, we didn't take many photos. If you're interested, you can go yourself or search online; it's truly beautiful. Our family drove along, exclaiming 'Wow, wow, wow' the whole way, looking so unsophisticated...

Just take a couple of photos for you to feel it! Along the way, we passed many border checkpoints—a new life experience. Some even checked the trunk!

At the last toll booth, we met a fellow townsman who drove the same model car as mine. It felt so warm; I wanted to knock on his window and say hello!

That night, we booked a hotel inside the Detian Waterfall scenic area (I'll explain later why we chose a hotel inside the scenic area). So when we drove to Shuolong Town in the evening, about ten kilometers from the scenic area hotel, we stocked up at a supermarket, buying milk and eggs for the next morning's breakfast. At this border town, the slogans were special!

D5 Detian Waterfall

Here comes the highlight of this trip. This is a place I've always longed to visit but never had time for. The ticket office for Detian Waterfall is about ten kilometers from the main gate of the scenic area. We passed by it on the way from Shuolong Town. The normal procedure is to buy a ticket at the ticket office: 80 yuan entrance fee plus 35 yuan per person for the scenic area shuttle bus to take you to the scenic area. Alternatively, if you self-drive and stay inside the scenic area, parking is 30 yuan per time (mandatory). However, accommodation inside the scenic area is very basic; don't have any illusions or expectations. So you can decide how to visit this attraction based on your itinerary.

1. Self-driving + arriving at Detian in the evening and seeing the falls the next morning + only needing one night's stay + no high expectations for accommodation + the car carrying more than two people (shuttle bus 35 yuan/person * 3 = 105 > 30 yuan/time parking fee) — you can choose to stay in the scenic area.

2. Public transportation + having other daytime plans — you don't necessarily need to stay in the scenic area because the 10-kilometer mountain road is really hard to drive.

Based on condition 1, we finally chose to stay inside the scenic area. The accommodations are all villagers' self-built houses, with small rooms and no suitable breakfast options (only noodles and fried rice). So we stocked up in Shuolong Town.

To the left is Vietnam's Ban Gioc Waterfall; to the right is our Detian Waterfall. In between is the Guichun River. That's why it's called Detian Transnational Waterfall.

The boats below also include Vietnamese and Chinese boats. How to tell them apart? Just look at whether they wear life jackets. Our country's boats wear them—you know!

3. Visiting time: Since winter is the dry season in Guangxi, the waterfall has less water in the morning. It becomes spectacular around noon when water is released upstream. So we entered the park at 9 am, first wandered around, then around noon, we went to viewing platforms 1-5 to see the panoramic view of the waterfall. Alternatively, on the way back, there's a fork that returns to the morning route for a closer view. This photo shows the waterfall before the gate opened.

This is the water volume at noon.

Actually, in Daxin County, Chongzuo, there are many other attractions to visit. One is Anping Fairy River Scenic Area, but it was recently renamed Tongna Yuxiu Bay (Dongna Yuwan). Another is Mingshi Pastoral Scenery. But after reading many guides, because of winter, Mingshi Pastoral is not at its best right now, so we skipped it. Due to itinerary issues, we postponed Tongna Yuxiu Bay to the return leg from Nanning.

After leaving Detian Waterfall, we ate a little at the scenic area exit and then headed towards Baise. Next stop: Sandie Ridge Waterfall.

We didn't take the expressway to Baise; instead, we followed the mountain road from Detian Waterfall, a winding mountain road that's very narrow with 180-degree turns. This section is best driven by an experienced driver; driving slowly is fine.

About ten kilometers out of Detian Village, we arrived at a place called Xialei Town. Unexpectedly, on this rough road, we captured the most beautiful scenery and met the most simple and honest Guangxi people. Along the way, there were orange orchards, sugarcane fields, dragon fruit, and papaya. We stopped frequently, parked by the roadside, and went in to chat with the fruit farmers. At that moment, I took out my phone to share the scenery with a friend. My friend said, 'Go steal some to eat!' But the local villagers directly said, 'Help yourselves, it's not worth much.' The orchards behind are all from our village; you can pick freely!' They also told us how much people come to buy citrus per catty, and how cheap the sugar factory buys sugarcane.

I looked up and saw fruits hanging on the tree. I asked, 'What is this?' They said, 'Passion fruit! I have some at home; I'll give you a few to brew water with!' Then they led us all the way into the village, saying there was the most beautiful spring in the village, a place they played in since childhood. We picked papaya and dragon fruit. I had never eaten such sweet dragon fruit. Although small, it burst with juice when bitten!

This sister took us to the spring in the mountains; it truly rivals Jiuzhaigou and Blue Moon Valley!

This afternoon could be considered the essence of the entire trip. It felt like we truly connected with Guangxi, experiencing its purest beauty!

Sandie Ridge Waterfall is right by the national highway, with no scenic area or ticket office. A separate area is designated as a parking lot. After climbing a few steps for 3-5 minutes, you can see the full view of Sandie Ridge. If Detian Waterfall is magnificent, Sandie Ridge Waterfall is graceful. If you pass by, it's worth climbing up to see. A few more steps reveal different scenery, especially across from the waterfall, where you can see an elevated expressway shuttling between two mountains—also spectacular!

Throughout this trip, I couldn't help but admire the greatness of our motherland. In such a remote border town, the national roads and expressways are well-built. Without these roads, these people might never have left the deep mountains, and we might never have had the chance to see such beautiful scenery. Having visited nearly 20 capitalist countries, where interests go, capital goes. Wishing the motherland prosperity!

D6 Baise Jingxi City

Today is our return day. One stop is Goose Spring, and then a 300-kilometer drive back. Our flight is at 7:45 pm. We checked out of the hotel at 10 am. We drove about 9 kilometers to Goose Spring Scenic Area. On the way, we received a call from 95010, but I didn't answer because I was driving. More on the 95010 story later.

Goose Spring Scenic Area is not large; an hour is enough to visit. Elderly over 65 are free. If you stay at a hotel inside the Goose Spring scenic area, before 8 am, you don't need a ticket, so the logic of staying inside the scenic area is similar to Detian Waterfall. The spring water is shallow and clear, and you can see the water plants clearly. Bamboo raft rides cost 10 yuan per person.

One reminder: The scenic area is very small. If you come, come early or late. After 11 am, a lot of people pour in, and it feels like the place is about to burst!

Just as we were finishing our visit, my phone's travel app suddenly notified me that tonight's flight would be delayed to 8:40 pm departure. If needed, I could change to another flight. Although it was only a one-hour delay, for the elderly, we wouldn't be home until midnight. So the 95010 call was from Ctrip informing me of the flight delay. If I had answered earlier, I might have had more time to handle the return situation. After calming down for half a minute, I decisively decided to change the flight. Shenzhen Airlines happened to have seats on a 4:20 pm flight. It was already 12 noon, so I checked the map, calculated the time to the airport, about 3 pm. If the road was smooth, I could make it. Let's gamble! Then I canceled the check-in, changed the flight, contacted the car rental company to return the car early, and ensured someone would take us to the airport immediately after returning the car (though the customer service said the return point was just minutes from the airport). This was the tensest moment of the entire trip. I drove on the expressway without letting up on the accelerator, covering 300 kilometers in one go. Fortunately, there were few cars on the road, the car return was smooth, and we were quickly taken to the airport. After passing security, we ate a bowl of instant noodles and then boarded the plane!

The end, scatter flowers!

So, Anping Fairy River is the only regret of this trip, and at the same time, it gives me a reason to come again! A blessing in disguise.

About attractions: The attractions this time were all selected by me based on introductions from many sources and the composition of the travel group. Because of the elderly, I reduced many hiking and rafting activities. If you have children, you can have more of these activities; they are really fun! Especially the Yulong River rafting and the magic carpet at Detian Waterfall.

Precautions: Safe driving is the first priority, especially for rental cars. When picking up the car, they will say you can add full insurance, costing 30-50 yuan per day. You can add it based on your driving skills. I didn't add it because I was confident in my driving. Although the local people are simple and honest, when interacting, be polite and respect their customs.

About itinerary: Try not to pack the itinerary too full (since self-driving already saves a lot of time compared to other travel methods). Here, every step brings a view, and the scenery is everywhere. Also cherish the time with family, which is far more precious than the scenery. Leave more free time to make the whole trip relaxed and comfortable. Also, collect some alternative itineraries to deal with unexpected situations.

About food: As a V7 user of a food app, I didn't go into great detail about Guangxi cuisine this time because I honestly didn't get used to the rice noodles—just tasting was fine. You can also search for yourself on the platform.

About shopping: The whole country is one big market; there's really no need to buy so-called specialties, especially in scenic areas. This time at the Vietnam border, my parents wanted to buy a cutting board. They repeatedly said it was high quality. I asked, 'Is the cutting board at the supermarket so bad that it can't last three days?' It doesn't matter to spend money, but if we carry it back and find out we were cheated, it's not worth it! As for other night markets, you can browse appropriately. There's a lot of food we haven't seen before; buy a little and taste it!

Finally, parents, children, and partners seem to be the closest relationships, but due to pressure from work, life, and studies, we often neglect each other and may not have long-term companionship. Cherish the time with family! For us working dogs, it's truly precious! So, don't argue during the trip! Again, thank my understanding parents for their full cooperation and laughter-filled six days!