Yangshuo Village Tours

Yangdi

Yangdi is a tina ancient village on the Li River between Guilin and Yangshuo. You'll need over an hour to get there by bus. Yangdi is worth seeing by itself, but is also the starting point of a breathtaking hike to the town of Xingping.

Chao Long

This town consists of three villages: Yi Ma, Chao Yang and Chao Long. They are on the newly paved road between the Yangshuo Mountain Retreat and the Yu Long Bridge. The houses are made of mud bricks and village life has remained nearly unchanged for the past 500 years. Though a short distance from Yangshuo, these tiny hamlets are like a time capsule. This area can be reached easily by bike or walk from the Mountain Retreat. You can also combine the tour with a course at the Pam's cooking school or a bamboo raft ride on the river.

Mushan

This village lies at the foot of Snow-Lion Hill in the town of Fuli. Its official Chinese name is Mushan, although in the local dialect it is called Bagua. Fuli Town is more than 1000 years old and has become a popular place to buy hand painted paper fans which are a local specialty handicraft. As in many other places around Yangshuo County, Fuli and Mushan are bordered by amazing limestone towers (karst) and the tranquil Li River.

The Fishing Village (Yu Cun)

High above the eastern bank of the Li River just south of Xingping, this ancient fishing village was founded during the Ming Dynasty in 1506. The main appeal of Yucun are the 48 well preserved traditional courtyards with their gables, towers and unique architectural features. Surrounded by mountains, the fishing village is only accessible by walking along a narrow path from Xingping or by river boat. Bill Clinton stopped over here in 1998 as part of his China tour. He expressed his admiration of the beautiful architectural features of the village. The fishing techniques of Yucun fishermen are very special as they use bamboo rafts and cormorant birds to catch their fish.

Jiuxian

Jiuxian is situated near the Yu Long River but is still a quiet and not widely visited village as it is not on the main Yangshuo to Moon Hill bike tour. It is located on the Yangshuo to Yulong bridge route and makes a nice photo stop along the way.

Market Days

Yangshuo & Xingping: 3rd, 6th, 9th, 13th, 16th, 19th, 23rd, 26th and 29th of the month
Fuli: 2nd, 5th, 8th, 12th, 15th, 18th, 22nd, 25th & 28th of the month
Baisha: 1st, 4th, 7th, 11th, 14th, 17th, 21st, 24th & 27th of the month

Local Produce:

- Pomeloes:

First introduced to the area around three hundred years ago at the end of the Ming Dynasty, this widely grown fruit is slightly larger than a western grapefruit. It also peels very easily and is much sweeter than a grapefruit. While they become ripe in October, try to choose an old tree for the very best tasting examples.

- Mandarin Oranges:

A local variety, favored in and around Baisha town, look for glowing colors and shiny rinds, especially when they come into season in November. They are about 1/2 the size of navel oranges

- Horse Chestnuts:

Anybody visiting Jin Bao Town during October is in for a very special surprise. Try them fresh, roasted in charcoal or perhaps stuffed into a succulent duck breast.

- Persimmon:

Westerners might find this fruit sickly sweet if eaten fresh. Alternatively wait until winter when your can try the pressed, sun-dried version which is much tastier. Also popular in traditional Chinese medicine as a natural cure for indigestion.

Local Crafts & Souvenirs:

- Fans:

Hand-painted, decorative fans are one of the most popular souvenirs to take home, The best place to find them is Fan Street in Fuli, where many local artisans specialize in this traditional art.

- Chinese Landscape Painting:

Yangshuo has always attracted painters and a very definitive style has evolved over the years. Beautiful watercolor scrolls are available nearly everywhere in Yangshuo Town.

- Embroidered Decorative Balls:

Widely popular in Japan where they are known as Temari, these delicate balls of thread actually originated in China. Sometimes made for ornamentation, the Zhuang people like to use them as love tokens

For more great pictures of local villages go to
http://www.flickr.com/photos/yangshuomountainretreat/sets/72157603685475420/