Facts of Guilin and Li River Cruise

Guilin has the good fortune being located in one of China’s most beautiful landscapes and one of China’s best tourist city which is important for China tourism. Surrounded by stunning karst peaks that dramatically jut up from the ground, the city is a popular Chinese tourist destination (but somewhat underrated in guidebooks). Formed some 200 million years ago when the area was below sea level, the jagged green hills give Guilin a hypnotic, otherworldly vibe.

Staying true to modern Chinese construction, Guilin’s architecture— rebuilt in the functional style popular in 1950s after Japanese bombing—is rather colorless. But the city has some worthy natural monuments and about 10 pleasant parks featuring the striking peaks and limestone caves.
But to me, the city alone isn’t attractive enough to warrant a strong recommendation as a tourist destination. Instead, Guilin’s main attraction is its position as the starting point for a cruise down the Li River to the (once) sleepy, backpacker town of Yangshuo which are always contained in popular China travel package.

In fact, the Li River cruise is the highlight of trip to China for some travelers. If I had to choose one, I’d recommend the Li River cruise over the one down the Yangtze River (especially after the Three Gorges Dam turned the once narrow, rapid river into a large, placid lake).
A photographer’s dream, the cruise down the shallow green water passes through a never-ending procession of gorgeous karst peaks that the elements have carved into all kinds of bizarre shapes. And in between, you’ll pass by landscape straight out of Chinese scroll painting: rural scenes of fishermen on narrow bamboo raft and farmers in conical hats working the fields with water buffalo.

Although no longer the unspoiled mellow town of past decades, Yangshuo is still a strongly recommended and very worthy destination. Today, the small town offers a wide range of trendy souvenir shops, bars, cafes, and restaurants catering to western and Asian tourists. These days you can find anything from reggae to hip hop and pizza to pad thai noodles.
The best times to visit are spring and fall (long summers tend hot and humid, winters tend to be wet).
LI RIVER CRUISE: Li River Cruise can match Yangtze River cruises. Almost all of the cruises down the Li River leave in the morning from Zhujiang pier, a 45-minute drive from Guilin. Your best bet is to shop around a bit and book through your hotel/hostel or a travel agency.
The cruises are almost all one-way (best to take a 2-hour bus back instead of the long journey upstream). For budget travelers, the cheapest fares will be on an old ferry and run around Y250. But otherwise, expect to pay about Y400-500, which will include a ride to the pier as well as lunch. Depending on the water level, the cruise takes anywhere from 4-6 hours to make the 40-mile (60km) journey south to Yangshuo.