Yangshuo

Yangshuo is a small county in southern China that is full of everything you would like to experience within this wonderful country: eat fantastic food, get lost along narrow cobbled streets and cycle, walk or take a boat trip amidst simply beautiful scenery.

Yangshuo lies in the northeast of Guangxi Province and to the southeast of Guilin City. Visitors flock to this spot to witness its special geography, which gives it its breath-taking beauty and over 1,400 years of history, which blesses it with a deep traditional culture. The diverse ethnic minority groups including Hui, Zhuang, Yao and others, enrich it with special folk cultures represented by their various festivals: while many foreign residents add exotic flavours to its fascination. If you are a foodie, we recommend sampling local delicacies here (our favourites are fried Li River shrimp and Chinese grapefruit), as well as trying your hand at cooking Guilin-style cuisine under the guidance of a local chef. Also, there are plenty of shops to browse here and we guarantee that you will be tempted to take some mementos home as stalls selling local Dong embroidered cloth, Miao Batik fabric and Tibetan silver line the streets.

The famous Li River traverses the county and is the source of the dramatic limestone landscape. Along the picturesque river, thousands of soaring karst mountains stand proud in different poses and with different expressions, such as Moon Hill, Mural Hill and Schoolboy Hill, which is the natural stage of the world-famous opera 'Impression Sanjie Liu'. The 'Little Li River', also known as the Yulong River, is a paradise for a bamboo raft cruise thanks to its green hills, silky water and ancient bridges – we highly recommend fitting this into your itinerary as it is bound to be a highlight of a bespoke tour of China.

My favourite thing is to go where I've never been.
Diane Arbus