---
node: dest_yangshuo
type: destination
slug: yangshuo
title: "Yangshuo"
lead: "Yangshuo is the town at the downstream end of the Li River cruise, ringed by karst peaks and given over to travellers since the 1980s. It is the base for cycling, climbing and river trips in the Guilin landscape."
published: 2026-08-12
updated: 2026-08-12
image_file: dest_yangshuo.jpg
image_source: "https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1_aerial_yangshuo_panorama_2017.jpg"
image_author: "Chensiyuan"
image_license: "CC BY-SA 4.0"
---

## Overview

The town centre is small and busy — West Street is a pedestrian strip of bars, cafés and shops — while the surrounding countryside is the reason to stay. The Yulong River valley of paddy fields and stone bridges is flat and quiet enough to cycle in a day. Yangshuo is also China's rock-climbing centre, with hundreds of bolted routes on the limestone.

## Highlights

Rent a bike or e-bike and ride the Yulong valley; it is the best half-day here by some distance. Moon Hill, a natural arch on a peak, is a stiff climb with a wide view. Impression Sanjie Liu, a night show staged on the river itself with the peaks lit as the backdrop, is the one large-scale performance worth the ticket.