While staying in Yangshuo for a couple of days we went for a cruise on the Li River. The Li River or Lijiang is a river in China ranges 83 kilometers from Guilin to Yangshuo. The scenery along the river was breathtaking. That morning all the hills were shrouded in mist and the river covered in small boats and rafts.
Cruising on a bamboo raft down the Li River felt like a scene from a movie! The bamboo rafts have outboard motors strapped on to the back and an ideal way to travel on the river from Yangshuo.
That morning there was a light monsoon rain that just added to the mystic feel of the morning. We slowly drifted past the picturesque karst peaks, vivid green rice paddies and water buffalo on the banks of the river. We were all mesmerized by the unique natural landscape and I feel that my photos do not even come close to showing how beautiful it really is.
Along the way we stopped at Xingping town about 27 kilometers upstream from Yangshuo. The town was initially settled in 265 AD, and was the regional center for Yangshuo County until Yangshuo was settled in 590 AD. Like Yangshuo, Xingping is surrounded by beautiful Karst mountains which definitely greatly enhances the charm of the town. Certainly, not as clean or developed as neighboring touristy Yangshuo, it nonetheless has a nice authentic feel to it complete with a few intact historical buildings and easy access to the Li River.
The old street is a one-kilometer long stone street lined with old brick buildings and assembly halls like those of many different provinces. Guandi (General Guan Yu) Temple which was built in the Qing Dynasty tell the long history of the town. The Guandi Temple was built in 1739 and there are surviving side halls and a theatrical stage. The theatrical stage in Guandi Temple is an architecture built in Qing Dynasty (1644-1911 A.D.)
This village has a small paper fan workshop where we had the chance to watch a lady create one of these magnificent pieces of art. It was quite a shame that while we were in the town it was raining quite heavily so we couldn’t really explore the beautiful streets and sights that the town has to offer.
Janaline's world journey 
Incredible scenery! Looks so mystical! Now adding “Cruising down the Li River” to my adventure list. 😉
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You definitely have to!! It was such an amazing experience…definitely a highlight of my China adventure!
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“Cruising down the Li River on a powered bamboo raft” must have been a wonderful experience…
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What a great destination, Janaline! Your photos are great. 😉
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Thanks Ruth!!
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Hi Janaline, I haven’t been to that part of China so thanks for taking me virtually with you. It looks beautiful and the mist just made it look more magical. It reminds me of Halong Bay in Vietnam. The fan workshop looks fascinating. That’s a big Buddha belly! I hope it brings you huge luck:) Thanks for a delightful post.
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Thanks Marisol!! Yes, the Yangshuo area does look a lot like the hills of Ha Long Bay, it is such an amazing view.
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I’m headed there in Sept–thanks for the advance taste! Did you blog while in China??
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You are going to love it!! China is amazing!! I actually started my blog after I returned from this wonderful adventure in China so doing some catch-up writing at the moment.
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Great series Janaline. The first one in the series is particularly noteworthy.
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Thank you!!
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Well it seems like the rain can’t stop you anyway. Enjoy and take care!
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Thanks Bebs! I usually try to avoid exploring in the rain but when you are on holiday its all part of the adventure. This morning it actually added to the mystical atmosphere….
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You make a great start to my day. Wonderful photos. Your site is fabulous..Thanks for sharing. Li Tasmania Australia
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Thanks for those lovely words Liz!!
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Fabulously full of atmosphere 🙂
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Thanks Jo! It was such an amazing day that I couldn’t wait to share it with everybody!
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Lovely photos! It looks like a beautiful place to visit and explore. The hand-painted fans are gorgeous. My husband and I had one painted in Taiwan for a 1st wedding anniversary and it has a special place in our home!!! Enjoy the rest of your travels!
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Thanks!! i would have loved to buy one of these hand painted fans but unfortunately you can only fit so much into a backpack and we this was at the beginning of our month ling odyssey.
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Very well captured photos – looks as a very interesting place… 🙂
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The whole Yangshuo area is stunningly beautiful, it was an amazing experience!
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A beautiful account Janaline. We swapped Guilin and Yangshuo for the Chongqing region. I don’t regret that, but I do wish there was some way to include everything!
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China is filled with so many beautiful places Madhu. Each region has a different beauty and I think you need a couple of months if you want to see everything. Maybe next time….
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Your beautiful pics reminded so much of our Li River cruise! Thanks, Janaline!
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Thanks Amy! Cruising along the Li River was such a magical experience!
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Wow, this is going on my bucket list! Even though it was raining it looks like you had an amazing experience!
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I agree Kristen, it is a must, the scenery is so magnificent and magical that a bit of rain didn’t bother us…..it turned out to be a very memorable and beautiful morning!
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Yangshuo and a Li River cruise are definitely on my plans for a future trip to China – I hope I make it there some day! Great photos, the landscape is stunning. A shame about the rain for you, most photos I see of that area look cloudy so I guess it must be hard to get good weather there.
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I hope you get the chance Ben, China is an amazing place to explore! Although it was rainy the scenery was so breathtakingly beautiful that we didn’t mind too much!
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