Yangshuo Travel Guide

In Guangxi there is an area often referred to as 'Heaven on Earth'; it is the limestone district stretching along the valley of the Li River from the popular tourist city of Guilin to the scenic wonderland of tiny, laid-back, Yangshuo.

Yangshuo is located in the northease of Guangxi and 65 km southeast of Guilin City,

Yangshuo and the surrounding countryside is an incredibly beautiful place. The landscape is dotted with Karst peaks and the Li river winds its way around them. Yangshuo is your break from all the major cities in China, here you can experience the rural China you have come to expect. Yangshuo is a very laid back town with excellent facilities for visitors. Yangshuo is an attractive town sitting in narrow valleys beneath many steep hills. Due to the growth of cafe¦culture and cheap hotels it has attracted many foreign travellers seeking its easy lifestyle while enjoying the scenery. The town does have many fascinating corners to explore off its main street. Alleys entered through moon gates are lined with traditional two-storey houses and local markets.

With a history of over 1400 years, Yangshuo was founded in the tenth year (590) of Kaihuang's regime in Sui Dynasty (581-618 A.D.). The county,covering over 1400 km2,has typical harst formations. The 63 ks of the Li River that run through it exhibits the essence of the river's scenery. Within its borders, the natural scenery features unique karst hills, crystal water, exquisite stones and intricate caves as well as a cultural historic heritage and folks of diverse customs.Richly endowed by nature, it became the first county in China open to tourists from the outside world. Since then tourism has been rigorously promoted.

Produced 300 million years ago when an ancient sea covered this area, the limestone is formed from the compressed fossilised remains of sea creatures. The movements of the continents caused the earth to rise up and the sea disappeared. Since then warm, wet climatic conditions have allowed the rock to be steadily eaten away by chemical weathering and physically worn away by running water. The result is the landscape we have today in this part of Guangxi, a place where art and geology have come together. An area, which has drawn artists and travellers to its attractions in now ever increasing, numbers.