Celebrated for centuries in Chinese classical landscape paintings with the proverb "Guilin's scenery is peerless under heaven," this Guangxi region showcases dramatic limestone karst spires rising steeply from jade-green rivers and emerald rice paddies.
The classic journey departs from Guilin's Zhujiang Pier aboard a 4-star riverboat, cruising 83 kilometers down the Li River to Yangshuo past iconic viewpoints including the Yellow Cloth Shoal featured on the 20 Yuan banknote. In Yangshuo, hire a battery scooter or mountain bike to meander along the quieter Yulong River valley, drifting on hand-punted bamboo rafts through tranquil rural hamlets.
For sweeping terraced mountain vistas, take a two-hour road transfer north to the Longji (Dragon's Backbone) Rice Terraces in Longsheng. Walk stone paths between Zhuang and Yao ethnic wooden stilt villages, especially during the spring flooded-mirror season (May) or golden autumn harvest (October).
