Yangshuo is one of the most beautiful places in all of China. There was a bit of time where the pollution was so bad nearby that it would block out the spectacular views for weeks, but I think they realized what a tragedy this was and got on top of it by either cleaning up the air, or rezoning the industries. In reality, knowing what I know, it was probably a combination of both. I was lucky enough to be here during Covid, where there was almost no pollution, and also no tourists. Seriously, when Tony and I traveled down for a week we were the only foreigners the entire trip. The food was cheap - ten Kuai, the hotel downtown, a fifteen minute walk from Lijiang River, was cheap - 100 Kuai, and the taxi's were virtually free. This was a once in a lifetime experience.
To get to Yangshuo, you've got to make a few plans. The first stop is Guilin, a small city in the south. It's a bit touristy, so I wouldn't stay for more than a day. There you can grab some good Indian food, and easily find some basic pagoda's in the city parks. But! From Guilin you can take the ferry down a famous part of the Li river. It is spectacular. It was a bit chilly when we went, but not terrible for January because of the latitude. The whole trip is gorgeous - and Chinese cheesy if you stay for the explanation of the mountains through the standard annoying speaker banter inside the ferry. I would dip out early and head to the outside deck, which quickly gets to amazing views.
You'll find the local fishermen about halfway down the river to Yangshuo, periodically in groups of a half dozen or so. The fishermen were some of my favorite people to watch, because they weren't there for superficial reasons or faking an ancient practice, which you'll run into even in a lot of monasteries just for tourism's sake, but these guys were authentic. They really were there to catch fish, and they still use the same bamboo boats their ancestors used. If you look closely you can see they usually have two birds alongside. These are actually symbiotic - the fishermen and birds both have a relationship where they benefit. According to lore, when the birds swoop down and grab the (I believe it's carp), they kill the fish almost instantly, which makes the meat tastier. They then bring it back to the boat, and in exchange are always fed, even during the slow season.
Once you get down the Li river to Yangshuo, you expect to mourn the gorgeous views, but it is quite the opposite. Yangshuo itself is perhaps even more beautiful than the trip down the Li river. Not only that, but compared to Guilin, there is loads to do, especially if you're an outside person. Renting a bike is easy and cheap, and definitely the way to travel around. You are immersed in a fairy tale land where the mountains defy your old reality. We had a little bit of luck in that we avoided the rain during our trip, and were asked to follow some random woman we ran into, who wanted some company. She sort of knew the area, and took us weaving through a small village in search of a specific climb and cave.
Yangshuo has I believe the highest, or one of the highest caves per capita in the world. We got a bit lost walking through a farm and narrowly avoided an ornery bull, but eventually I found a path that led us to a dead end, and that dead end connected to the right path on the way back. We climb-hiked up the steep side of the mountain to the entrance of the cave, poor Tony slipping in his frictionless shoes that he'd only just realized were a bit too worn for this adventure. With the help of a good walking stick and some determination, we reached the top, where you could see old embedded climbing gear, which got me excited.
There is an amazing outdoor gear shop along the riverside, tiny as it can be, but full of everything useful for hiking/climbing, and an awesome owner who has a rustic cuteness about her. Also, her English is fantastic, and she will come bail you out if you get stuck in a cave. She was a Godsend for us, and she will be for you too - when you visit Yangshuo! Given the money you save on hotels and travel expenses, it's worth the flight cost. Maybe I'm just wanting some more friends to share the experiences? Anyways -
The town itself is also really damned cool. Tons of restaurants, indie coffee shops, riverside everything, great street food - so much to do for such a small place. We went out a few nights, but like I said, we were the only foreigners there-and even then, we were two of only a few dozen tourists given the pandemic situation still evolving. We found a reggae bar we really liked and made friends with the young employees who were really bored, exchanged Southern Chinese cigarettes over a unique, inside fire pit and tried to communicate. It was the perfect time for me, because I got really into the nature and culture here, before heading off to Sanya to meet my Russian friend Maria, which is more of a beach/party town. Yangshuo is a must see.
Yes, I hate how Blogspot formats photos as well!
The first domestic reading is this week! Common Market Oakwold, at 6:30 PM January 13th - may the day live forever in famy.
As always, I'm fighting as hard as I can to get book reviews, 50 is the minimum for a successful novel launch, so if you could help me out I would love you forever!
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