A trip along the Li River is one of the high spots of a holiday in China. From Guilin to Yangshuo, the river meanders its way through 52 miles of beautiful countryside, with bamboo forests, dense reed-beds, and incredibly bizarre rock formations. Now and again, the visitor will see a fishing boat glide by with two or more cormorants on board. Many fishermen use these birds to help them find fish. The journey will continue past Pierced Hill (Chuanshan), Clean Vase Hill (Jingpingshan), Embroidery Hill (Xiushan), and--at about the halfway point--Picture Hill (Huashan).

   

At the boat mooring in Yangshuo, there is an attractive arts and crafts market. Green Lotus Peak (Bilian Feng) outside Yangshuo is worth seeing. A few miles south of Yangshuo stands a mighty banyan tree which is hundreds of years old. Two miles from the tree is Moon Hill (Yueliangshan), the peak of which resembles a crescent-shaped crater.

The crystal clear Li River is sandwiched between precipitous peaks decorated with waterfalls. Among poems praising the beauty of the river are these two lines: "He who travels in Guilin hills finds himself in a fairyland" and "He who sails along the Li River finds himself boating in a sweet dream." Along the 83-kilometer riverbank from Guilin to Yangshuo are numerous natural wonders, made more wonderful by their mirrored reflection on the serene water of the river; they have inspired the saying, "Guilin has the most beautiful scenery in China, and Yangshuo is the most beautiful part of Guilin."