Yangshuo is a wonderful place in southern China’s Guangxi province. It’s brimming with iconic scenery and has outdoor activities to keep you busy for days. Plan to spend at least two days in Yangshuo to experience one of the most beautiful places in China.
The first impression of China in my mind is not the Great Wall or Shanghai’s skyline. It is not the story my dad told me as a child either- that if all the Chinese jumped up and down at the same time the Earth would be knocked out of its orbit and it would be the end of the world as we know it.
Say China, and I see layers and layers of weirdly shaped karst mountains rising straight up out of a sleepy river, peeking through overlapping layers of mist. Old men with flowing white beards on bamboo rafts fishing with cormorants complete the picture in my mind.
This image must come from a set of books called Children of the World, which my godmother gave to me when I was still in diapers. Many years later when I planned my first trip to China I got to know that this place is called Yangshuo.
But until now, I have not had the time to go there. Now that we live in China and Yangshuo is only three hours away on the fast train, we finally had the chance. We were very excited about visiting Yangshuo.
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Getting to Yangshuo by Train
We arrive at Yangshuo station just over 3 hours away from Zhuhai where we now live. Travelling at speeds of up to 250 km/h, the train is the most convenient way to reach Yangshuo. No need for travel agents or middlemen, just buy the ticket online and you’re ready to go.
Yangshuo station is much closer to Xingping than to Yangshuo, so you can head to Xingping after arrival and save yourself from doubling back that way later. Speeding towards Yangshou station and seeing the unreal scenery from the window, one thing was sure
I had arrived to the China I had always pictured in my mind.
How to Get to Yangshuo from Hong Kong or Macau
Visitors to Hong Kong or Macau might want to consider spending at least 2 days in Yangshuo as it’s not that far away and it’s truly a highlight of travel in China.
With a Chinese tourist visa, Yangshuo makes a perfect weekend break from either Hong Kong or Macau. You could even take a self-guided tour to Yangshuo by bullet train leaving from Hong Kong.
From Macau, you can cross the Gongbei border into China. The Zhuhai railway station is right next to the Gongbei border.
A direct train will take you from Zhuhai to Yangshuo, or you can transfer in Guangzhou for more regular connections. Direct fast trains connect Guangzhou South Station and Yangshuo. If coming from Hong Kong you’ll need to transfer in Guangzhou, too.
| Zhuhai – Yangshuo (Direct) 3h 30m (RMB 210). |
| Hong Kong West Kowloon – Yangshuo (Connect in Guangzhou) 4h 20m (RMB 355) |
| Guangzhou – Yangshuo (Direct) 2h 20m (RMB 140) |
Things to Do in Yangshuo
Yangshuo must be one of the most beautiful places in China and is deservedly popular with local and international visitors alike. There are things to do in Yangshuo for young and old, for the adventurous and the culture vultures. You could choose to go on an adventure tour or learn more about the culture of China by taking a language course or calligraphy class.
Whatever floats your boat, you will have no trouble finding things to do in Yangshuo.
Start in Xingping
Dedicate the first of your two days in Yangshuo to beautiful Xingping. Xingping is famous for being the location of the scene depicted on the back of the RMB 20 bill, and it has out-of-this-world scenery.
We got a DiDi taxi ( Chinese Uber) from Yangshuo station to the town of Xingping, which took about 15 minutes. We had lunch and arranged to leave our bags at the restaurant so that we didn’t have to haul them around the whole day. Our group split up and we walked along the Li River to the point where you could see the back of the RMB 20 bill. It really is beautiful.
Two things we HAD to do were climb Laoizhai Mountain and see the cormorant fishermen. Between doing this, we bought delicious fresh bayberries from stalls along the road, had coffee breaks, and simply enjoyed being surrounded by awesomeness.
Climb Laozhai Mountain for the Best View in Yangshuo
On the edge of town, Laozhai Mountain has one of the region’s best (and free) views. It has a small pagoda and TV tower on top, so it’s pretty easy to spot from anywhere in town.
Or ask locals LAAO ZHAI SHAN and they’ll point you in the right direction. The climb itself is about 40 minutes up and quite intense. There are 1200 steps and a short ladder to climb at the end before reaching the very top.
The trail is very easy to follow. We were soaked in sweat when we got to the top, but we could almost feel our chin hit our chest when we saw the view.
The Cormorant Fishermen of Yangshuo
Photographing the cormorant fishermen was the one thing we really wanted to do while in Yangshuo. While there are no real cormorant fishermen left as it has become unprofitable to fish this way, some of the old remaining fishermen are more than happy to pose for pictures with their birds.
This is actually very popular with Chinese photographers and so the fishermen (and groups of Chinese photographers) can be seen around sunset near the RMB 20 viewpoint.
The best place to see and photograph the cormorant fishermen is actually in the village of Xinping and not in the Yangshuo itself. While you might see a few men carrying birds on bamboo poles around Yangshuo who are willing to pose with you for a selfie, the “real” fishermen in Xinping will give you far better photos.
Photographing the Cormorant Fishermen of Xingping
Before coming here we were in contact with a few guides in Yangshuo, who all tried to charge us RMB 500 to set this up for me. The fishermen show and photography session I found online was almost double the price the local photography guides were asking.
So I decided to take the chance and do it on my own. In the end, we paid RMB 30 for a boat to take us to the location and I gave RMB 20 to the fisherman directly to take as many pictures as I wanted. Locals told us later that RMB 10 for the short boat ride is much more realistic. Good luck with getting the price down.
The two oldest fishermen have been featured on the cover of National Geographic, and they are good at posing and very willing to follow your directions if you have a specific pose in mind. They really work those angles and make every frame count – Tyra Banks would be very proud of them. Watch this space: China’s Next Top Fisherman is not so far-fetched!
Even though it’s staged and they don’t fish this way at all anymore, it was extremely beautiful and a wonderful experience to see and photograph some of the last original cormorant fishermen.
I couldn’t help but feel really happy for the old fisherman who, after years of hard work fishing day in and day out, can now sit back and pose for photos, perhaps two or three hours a day, and make more money than he could ever make fishing.
Where to Stay in Yangshuo
Sudder Street Guesthouse is our home in Yangshuo for the next two days. Located about 1 km away from West Street, it’s far enough to do some serious relaxing, but it’s also a walking distance away if you need the bright lights and excitement of West Street.
Rooms are stylish and somewhat minimalistic but feel very homey.
Double rooms have crisp white bedding, AC, a balcony and floor-to-ceiling windows We were travelling with 6 friends, and all of us loved the place. There is a small infinity pool overlooking the green fields and karst mountains. Free laundry machines and detergent are available too. Various tours can be booked from reception.
Stay here. Thank us later.
Activities for 2 days in Yangshuo
There are so many activities on offer to keep one busy in Yangshuo. With two 2 days in Yangshuo, you must do at least one. Rock climbing, rafting and biking are very popular here.
We booked bamboo rafting and drifting (think whitewater rafting) while our friends rock climbed, took a Tai Chi lesson, cycled through the countryside, and rented scooters to explore on their own.
Bamboo Rafting
The bamboo rafting on the Yulong River was really nice and peaceful if one could overlook the other thousand rafts, orange life vests and multi-coloured umbrellas. The trip lasts about an hour and you soon get into relaxation mode as you get punted along gazing towards the karst mountains, listening to the rhythm of the boatman’s bamboo pole gently pushing the raft forward.
Rafting can also be done on the Li River in Xingping, but the rafts there are motorized, and we think that the traditional rafts on the Yulong River are much more enjoyable.
Drifting in Longjin
In the afternoon we went drifting in Longjin. At first, I was a bit apprehensive about this, as I thought it might be same same as the bamboo rafting which we did a few hours earlier. Also, the bus to get here takes about an hour. By the time we reached Longjin, I was not very excited at all and wished I had stayed by the pool at Sudder Street guesthouse.
How wrong could I have been!? Don’t be misled by the term drifting. Perhaps Longjin Washing Machine would be a more appropriate name. Two people get into a dingy without paddles, hold onto the dingy handles, and once the water gets released from the dam, you’ll be propelled down the Longjin River through a series of vertical drops, rapids and waterfalls.
You don’t really have any control over where you are going. Some of the drops are extremely steep and fast—it is an adrenaline rush, and we had a thrilling time screaming and laughing while bumping and sliding our way down the river. Whitewater rafting without a guide is a good way to describe it.
The natural scenery is also amazing, but you won’t have much time to admire that as you’ll be moving quite fast. If you do one thing in Yangshuo, make it the Longjin (washing machine) drift. You can thank us later. I will come back to Yangshuo and I will do the Longjin drift again.
We paid CNY 160 per person at our guesthouse, which included bus transportation to and from the starting point. Lockers are available for CNY 10 (plus a CNY 20 deposit). Also, pack a towel and change clothes, as you will be soaked at the end.
Where to Eat in Yangshuo
You won’t go hungry (or thirsty) in Yangshuo. Just walk down West Street, and you’ll find Western fast food joints, Chinese restaurants, even a German place that serves mediocre schnitzels, street food stalls, bars, cafes, and yes, there is a Starbucks, too.
We tried Pure Lotus Vegetarian Restaurant (26 West Street), which is fantastic! Apart from the tasty veggie dishes, they have an ice-cold beer, mix a killer margarita and serve a decadent caramel dessert. It’s small, quiet and occupies all 4 floors of a building. Head up to the rooftop for great views (if you’re not tired of that by now) and enjoy an ice-cold beer while deciding what to order. We recommend the veg curry, eggplant clay pot and crispy rice.
Eat here. Thank us later.
2 Days in Yangshuo Itinerary
Day 1 in Yangshuo:
- Arrive at Yangshuo station in the morning. Head straight to Xingping. The station is about 15 minutes from Xingping town and about 40 minutes from Yangshuo. This will save you a lot of time. A DiDi taxi (Chinese Uber) should cost about 16 RMB.
- Have brunch at one of the restaurants on the main street and arrange to leave your luggage there.
- Take in the scenery. Walk down to the river and follow the signs which say “Scenic Viewpoint”. This will lead to the view on the back of the RMB 20.
Head back towards town. Look up to find the TV tower on the mountain. Head up Laozhai Mountain for a jaw-dropping view and a good workout.- Enjoy something cold at one of the cafes in town.
- Around 17:30 head back to the RMB 20 viewpoint to join the other photographers and get your perfect snapshot of the cormorant fishermen. We were knackered and got a tuk-tuk thing to take us there. We simply hailed down one and showed the driver a picture of the cormorant fishermen and he took us straight to the place. Pictures really do speak a thousand words.
- Take a DiDi taxi back to Yangshuo and check in at Sudder Street Guesthouse. The ride should be about RMB 80 and take 40 minutes.
Day 2 in Yangshuo:
- After breakfast, head out to your activity of choice. Jin and I went with the bamboo rafting. RMB 160 including transport to and from the rafting point. The rafting itself was a relaxing 1 hour, and about 30 minutes to get there. We paid RMB 160 per person.
- Lunch back in Yangshuo. Relax a little at the guesthouse. Take a nap, enjoy the pool, chat to others in the lounge. Whatever floats your boat.
- Time for activity two. De Wet went drifting in Longjing with a friend, while Jin stayed and enjoyed the pool. He really recommends doing the drift, and almost anyone with a pulse will be able to do and enjoy it. Bring a change of clothes and a towel – you will be soaked. We paid RMB 160, including transfers. Lockers are RMB 10 (+RMB20 deposit.)
- Dinner and drinks on West Street to celebrate the end of 2 amazing days in Yangshuo.
Where to Go After Yangshuo?
We recommend spending a bare minimum of 2 full days in Yangshuo, more if you’re into outdoor activities. When your time in Yangshuo is up you can return from whence you came from.
In our case, all the trains from Yangshuo station to Zhuhai were sold out. Due to this, we had to catch a train from nearby Guilin to Guangzhou and then another train from there to Zhuhai. Zhuhai train station is 10 minutes walk away from the Gongbei border with Macau.
We booked two cars for a private transfer from Yangshuo to Guilin, which cost a very reasonable $30 per car. We wanted to see a bit of Guilin before getting the train, so we asked the driver to drop us at the Two Pagodas, one of the most famous sights in Guilin.
While the scenery in Guilin pales in comparison to that of Yangshuo, it has its charms. The two pagodas of Guilin are pretty to look at and the surrounding area has good brunch places before moving on.
If you have more time on your hands, check out these handy tips for backpacking in China.
Planning a trip to Yangshuo? Let us know in the comments below if you have any questions and we’ll try our best to help out.
Thank you! I’m so glad I stumbled onto your blog. This write-up on Yangshuo is what I have been searching for some time and it’s like god-send to read this. I also read your other blog on Lijiang. You mentioned you took the trip in Dec. I just wondered if the mountain peaks have a lot of snow by then.
I am planning a 2 weeks trip starting mid Dec: Guangzhou, Yangshuo, Kunming (including Dongchuan) and Lijiang (skipping Dali).
Hi YK
That sounds like an awesome trip!
We think December is the best time to travel in China. GZ, Yangshuo and Kunming will be lovely, Lijiang might be a bit colder.
The Jade Dragon Snow Mountain had some snow on the summit ( that we could see from the bottom), but we didn’t take the cable car up so can’t comment on the actual snow cover.
We did not experience any snow on the ground, and even Tiger Leaping Gorge was snow free. You might also want to add Tiger Leaping Gorge to your travel plan- it’s beautiful.
Enjoy the dim sum in GZ 🤤 and good luck with planning your trip.
Thanks for sharing and it helps me to plan my trip to Yangshou. What’s the name of a place to meet the cormorant fishermen? I don’t speak mandarin but if you could write in Hanzi at least I could ask people around.
Cheers
Nas from Sydney
Hi Nas,
I photographed the cormorant fishermen in Xingping, a town about 30 minutes from Yangshuo. I don’t know the specific name of the photo spot, but there are always a few fishermen posing before sunset. Screenshot a photo of the fishermen and show the locals to point you in the right direction. Xingping is a village and any local will know the spot, as it’s well known.
Thanks for your response and I really appreciate it! That’s a good idea 🙂