Jiu Xian Village to Yangshuo Mountain Retreat
Duration of rafting: 2 hours
Take a twenty minute taxi ride or walk upstream to Jiu Xian Village and then gently drift down the river from Xien Gui Bridge to the Yangshuo Mountain Retreat where there will be cold refreshments and delicious food waiting for you. Always negotiate the prices as particularly in high season they are likely to be steeper.
Yu Long Bridge to Yangshuo Mountain Retreat
Duration of rafting: 4 hours
Take a taxi (45min), bike (1.5 hours) or walk (3.5 hours) up to the Yu Long (Dragon River)Bridge. Here you can float back down the river with an ice cool water or beer and see the Yu Long River valley from a different perspective. If you have bikes with you, you can put them on the back of the bamboo rafts. The Yulong River is a small tributary of the larger (Li River) in Southeastern Gungxi Province, and runs through the major city of Guilin to Yangshuo. The Yulong starts in Northern Yangshuo County near Litang and runs for over 35km through small villages of the Yulong River Valley, including Putao, Litang, Chaolong, Yima and Gaotian town, before emptying into the Li River around the town of Ping Le. The Yulong River is a shallow river of around 5 meters maximum depth and an average of 25 meters across. As it is not located near any industrial areas, it is clean enough for swimming, though some brownish surface foam is visible in eddys, likely the result of agrigultural runoff from local fields. Unlike the busy Li River, it has no motorized boat traffic and relies completely on bamboo rafts to ferry passengers down river. This has become a popular tourist activity, with passengers beginning their journey that the Yulong Bridge, a 600 year old example of a classical Chinese stone arch style. The river just North of the Yulong brigde is also a natural swimming area, with clear pools and gentle currents. The Mountain Retreat also has a swimming area just opposite our VIP building. [CAUTION]: make sure to check with reception as to local weather conditions. The river is prone to flash flooding and can become dangerously strong very quickly. Swim at your own risk! [Book] Yulong River bamboo rafting tickets at Mountain Retreat [Call] +867738777091 or email us here for discount rafting tickets.
River Walk From Mountain Retreat
5km riverside path is most scenic in Yangshuo
From late 2015, guests of Yangshuo Mountain Retreat have direct access to a stunning new river front path that leads from our parking area up the most scenic points on the Yulong River. The path is suitable for running, walking or biking and connects with the bamboo rafting piers up river, allowing guests the option of returning down river on a raft directly to the steps of Yangshuo Mountain Retreat. For now, this newly opened route is a well kept secret, with only a few guesthouses up river referring their guests here. Early morning is the best time to get out on the path with a brisk walk or run.
For more information on the Yulong River walk and the great opportunities to experience rural Yangshuo along the way, please contact us at the bottom of this page, or call: (+86) 773 8777 091.
Yulong River Swim
Enjoy our natural swimming pool
From April through September, guests can enjoy a Yulong River swim right from the dock at Yangshuo Mountain Retreat. While there are often bamboo rafts coming down river, they do not approach shore, which is where our guests can swim. Enjoy a complimentary innertube and float your troubles away. While the river is not deep, there can be a strong current after rains, so we ask that you check with our front desk on river conditions before entering the water. Children must be accompanied by adults at all times. In addition to Yulong River swim access from the Retreat, there are additional areas about 20km upstream which are uncrowded and pristine. Ask at reception for more details on transportation and access.
Moon Hill
Duration: 3 hours
This dramatic mountain dome arches over dense bamboo forests that afford amazing views of the Yulong River Valley from the top.
From Mountain Retreat head along the riverwalk following the river which flows South. About 600 meters down river is a small bridge that crosses into Fenglou Village. Follow the winding village roads Southwest, angling away from the river and after 20 minutes you will arrive at the 321 highway. Turning right onto the highway shoulder, the Moon Hill Scenic Area Park entrance is on your right about 200 meters up the road. 800 winding stone steps that are very steep in sections, take you through shaded bamboo forest, alive with many birds. A fit person needs 30 minutes to make the climb to the top. There is an additional footpath that leads even higher up on the dome. Tickets are RMB 14.
Hiking Yangdi to Xingping
Duration: 5 6 hours
There is an 18km track for easy hiking along the Li River. Jump on a local bus from Yangshuo to Yangdi for 10 RMB. The path crisscrosses the Li River three times so you will need to buy a ticket in Yangdi for the river crossings.
The walk lets you experience the Li River from a different perspective and soak in the peacefulness and dramatic mountain scenery. The path takes you through small local villages, fields, bamboo forests and along the shores of the mighty Li River where usually there are very few tourists. If you get tired, you can always rent a motorized bamboo raft that will take you 3.km from Xingping but there will be Tuk Tuks or electric buses for 2 3RMB that will take you to the bus stop in the town centre. The local bus from Xingping back to Yangshuo costs 7 RMB. Prices based on time of writing.
Dragon Bridge to Yangshuo Mountain Retreat
Duration: 4 hours
For those who are looking for a great walk to Yangshuo Mountain Retreat, start at the Dragon Bridge (Yu Long Bridge) and just follow the river downstream. It's about 12 km to the Yangshuo Mountain Retreat.
You'll walk in the Yu Long (Dragon) River valley surrounded by subtropical Karst formations and through sleepy rural villages and even a catch your own fish farm. [Tip]: The Yu Long River and Dragon River is the same thing
The Yu Long River Hike
Set off early and enjoy the beautiful scenery on the way. Hike along the Yu Long River to the historic Village Jiuxian then go further to the Yu Long Bridge. This 400 year old bridge is located in a quaint setting.
Take your swim suits as there are many possibilities to swim in the river along the way. At the Yu Long Bridge you can catch a bamboo raft back or a bus ride back to Yangshuo where you will need to catch a taxi to the Yangshuo Mountain Retreat. The walk to the Yu Long Bridge will take approximately 3.5 hours and the bamboo raft back about 4 hours so allow for a full day to make this journey. Ask at reception for a route description.
The Lost World Wander
Duration: 1 1.5 hours
Between the Yulong River valley and Yangshuo are some very quiet and peaceful pastures surrounded by the karst peaks. At our reception we have 2 routes available that will lead you through this beautiful "lost world".
There is a short loop of about an hour and a longer one that will take around 3 hours. For more great hiking pictures go here
Renting from us
Duration: 1/2 - full day
With countless trails and paths leading through some of the most dramatic Yangshuo scenery mountain biking is an excellent way to get deep into the countryside and see a lot in a short space of time. We have great 2008 Trek mountain bikes available and the most knowledgeable guides to make the most of your yangshuo biking experience.
While there is bike rental in Yangshuo town, you would need to ride out to Yangshuo Mountain Retreat to get on local trails, so it is more convenient to rent bikes from our Yangshuo hotel. For those more advanced riders looking to bike Yangshuo, there are some secret trails in the Gaotian hills, near our sister hotel, the Yangshuo Village Inn. The trails are single track and hard pack narrow roads that wind for miles into the hills. You can also rent Trek mountain bikes from the Village Inn, located in Moon Hill Village, only 10 minutes from the Yangshuo Mountain Retreat.
You can rent the following bikes from the Yangshuo Mountain Retreat.
- -Trek Mountain Bikes in three different sizes
- -Push Bikes
- -Tandems
Prices for rentals are:
1/2 day = 20 RMB, Full day = 30 RMB
Yangshuo biking routes to Moon Hill
Duration: According to route taken
Head towards the main road from the hotel and cross the Gongnong Bridge. Visit the Big Banya Tree on the left side before heading on to Moon Hill. Leave your bikes at the bottom of Moon Hill and climb to the top. Without visiting the Banyan Tree this will take about 30 min to Moon Hill and another 60 min to climb to the top and down again.
Another option is to head towards the main road from the hotel but this time take a right approximately 700 meters from YSMR. This path will lead you down to a large weir where you can cross the river. From here a small path but will take you through Fen Lou Village to the Jin Bao River. Cross the river and take the concrete road turning right when it meets the main road and bike 5 min to Moon Hill. This takes again about 40 minutes and is a very scenic taking you through two villages. Extending your day trip: Opposite of Moon Hill is the entrance gate to Moon Hill Village where you can relax and have lunch in a traditional farmers restaurant. Here you can also visit the Water Cave a large, complex set of caves with spectacular underground scenery (allow 1.5 hours for half tour and 3 hours for full tour).
Route to Dragon Bridge Yulong River Yangshuo
Duration: whole day
Follow the Dragon River (Yulong River)until Chao Lang village. From there make your way through small villages, bumpy roads and fields leading you to the 400 year old Yu Long (dragon) Bridge. Although the bridge is not particularly spectacular the scenery is magnificent and there are plenty of spots to go swimming on the way.
About half way to the bridge you can stop at the catch your own fish farm have a break and enjoy your catch of the day whilst admiring the beautiful scenery.
From the Yu Long Bridge there are many ways back so we have listed four of them.
The first option takes you from the from the bridge to a little town nearby called Baisha. From there it is about 10 km back to Yangshuo town and another 7 km to the Yangshuo Mountain Retreat (all on main roads).
The second option is to cross the Yu Long Bridge and take the dirt track heading down the river to Tongmen Hill where you can cross the river on a weir back to Yangshuo Mountain Retreat. This option has fantastic scenery but might take longer as the paths narrow towards the end and you may have to push the bike. The third longer alternative takes you up river to the next much larger bridge. Cross the bridge over the river and head towards Jin Bao Town then on to Gao Tian which is south of Moonhill. It's about 17 km from the Yu Long Bridge to Gao Tian and a further 7km back to YSMR.The final option is to simply go back the way you came ; )!
Bike to Liugong Village
Duration: whole day
From YSMR head to the main road crossing the Gongnong bridge and taking the second left Head on this path to the main road at Aishan and follow this south in the direction of Yongcun. The road to Liugong is half way between Aishan and Yongcun on the left hand side and about 20km from the Mountain Retreat.
Folow this road to the end where you'll enter the sleepy riverside village of Liugong. Here you can have lunch and walk around the ancient cobbled streets of this 800 year old village.
Near the village are also the famous three color ponds. The level of water in the ponds always remains equal throughout the year regardless of the water level of the Li River. As the name suggests the ponds have three different colors giving rise to many a local folk story about their supernatural existence.
For more information on Yangshuo Mountain Biking, go to: Bike Asia If you're considering an extended bike tour in China, visit Bike China.
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Yangshuo Caves - a great rainy or hot day activity
Discounted tickets from Mountain Retreat and Village Inn
The amazing karst formations that form the landscape in the region were created by the gradual retreat of inland seas which through erosion has created fissures, sinkholes, underground lakes and streams and many caves. Most are inaccessible to the general public but many in Yangshuo County have been made safe and opened to the public. The following list is some of the major caves you can visit while staying in Yangshuo.
All tickets to the caves can be booked at the reception in YSMR
Dragon Cave
Location: From YSMR head towards the main road in the direction of Yangshuo (2km).Turn right when you reach the main road, cross the bridge heading towards Moon Hill and the cave is approximately 1.5km on the left hand side of the road. Length of cave tour: 45 minutes
Features:The cave is very accessible for all ages with a paved path running through. The stalagmites and stalactites are lit up with various color lights giving it a magical feeling that children always seem to enjoy. There are a few underwater crystal clear ponds that look like mirrors in the dim light. At the end of a path you will exit on a boat as a large underwater pond stretches into the depths of the cave.
Real Water Cave
Location: From YSMR head towards the main road in the direction of Yangshuo (2km).Turn right when you reach the main road, cross the bridge and head towards Moon Hill (4km). On the left hand side opposite Moon Hill is Moon Hill Village. Head down the road towards the village. There are two large signs at the beginning of the village, the left sign promotes the Buddha Water Cave and the right is for the Real Water Cave which is this one. The ticket office to the Real Water Cave is at the other end of the village on the right hand side.
Length of cave tour: Short tour: 1.5 hours, Full length tour: 3 hours
Features: This cave is for the slightly more adventurous and stretches far back into the mountain. You enter in a small narrow boat meandering through stalactites and low hanging rock. The cave has huge cavernous halls and gigantic glimmering rock formations. Half way through the cave there is large mud bath that is excellent to lie in and float on. Towards the back of the cave are a series of clear ponds that are excellent to have a swim in and wash all the mud off. Tips: Bring your swimsuit, towel, shoes with good grip that you don't mind getting wet and be prepared for a wet, muddy experience!
Lotus Cave
Location: Ticket office in Xingping - please ask at reception for details Length of Cave Tour: 1 hour Features: The Lotus Cave is approximately 600 meters long reaching to 40 meters at its highest point. There are hundreds of formations inside including of course the famous lotus formations. The cave lotuses look very similar to real lotus leaves and range from 30 centimeters to 2 meters in diameter.
Crown Cave
Location: Caoping - please ask at reception for details
Length of cave tour: 1-2 hours
Features:The commercialized Crown Cave is another favorite for families with children and is located near the village of Caoping on the Li River. It is part of a giant subterranean river system that stretches 12 kilometers. The tour however, only explores the first 3 kilometers but is still an enjoyable experience not least because of the various ways you can explore it. With small boats, elevators, mini trains and slow roller coasters the Crown Cave was listed in the Guinness book of World Records as having the most differing ways of exploring a cave.
Butterfly Cave & Spring
Location: Location: From YSMR head towards the main road in the direction of Yangshuo (2km). When you reach the main road head straight on towards Yangshuo. The cave is approximately 3.5km on the left side hand side of the road. Although there is space at the side of the road to walk it is busy and much better
Silver Cave
Location: Caoping - please ask at reception for details
Length of cave tour: 1.5 hours
Location: 25 Kilometers from Yangshuo - please ask at reception for details
Features: Silver Cave runs through 12 karst formations and the round tour covers approximately 2 kilometers. Famous for its wonderful shapes including thousands of stalactites and stalagmites the cave is divided into three sections that have distinctive features making for a great experience.
Yangshuo village tours from Mountain Retreat
Take our experienced English guides to experience authentic Yangshuo village life
The list of villages below offers an excellent glimpse into the rural side of China offering an authentic experience and a chance to soak up the local culture. Don't forget to check out the market days also listed below.
Yu Cun
Lying on the east bank of the Li River upstream from Yangshuo, the ancient Xingping fishing village was founded during the Ming Dynasty in 1506. 48 traditional houses have been very well preserved and the special features of the houses make the Fishing Village a very interesting place to visit. Surrounded by karst formations the Yucun is only accessible by walking a narrow path or by boat. Bill Clinton made this place very popular as he paid it a visit in 1998 during his China trip. He expressed his admiration of the simple and authentic features of the village. The Yucun got its name from what the farmers do to earn a living: they fish. Their fishing techniques are very special as they use bamboo rafts instead of wooden boats and they use cormorants to catch the fish.
Fuli
Fuli is known as the village of the fans. Watch the intricate paper fans being made and hand painted in this sleepy old town set on the banks of the Li River. Fuli also has an interesting local market. You can take a local bus or bike here. The old town street offers beautiful views of the Li River.
Liugong
Liu Gong Village is situated right on the bank of the Li River between Fuli and Puyi, it has over 800 years of history and some unique, old buildings including the Moon Pavilion and Home of Senators. Nestled among the beautiful karst hills, with many footpaths between farmers' fields there are lots of walks that can be done from this sleepy riverside village. Near the village are also the famous three-color ponds. The level of water in the ponds always remains equal throughout the year regardless of the water level of the Li River. As the name suggests the ponds have three different colors giving rise to many a local folk story about their supernatural existence.
Jiuxian
Jiuxian is located very near to the Dragon River but is still a very quiet and not greatly visited village as it is not on the main Yangshuo to Moon Hill bike route. It is located on the Yangshuo to the Yulong (Dragon River) bridge route and makes a nice break along the way. Walk around this tranquil village and feel the peacefulness of this rural area.
Mushan
This village is near the Snow-Lion Hill in Fuli town. The official Chinese name is Mushan Village although in the local dialect it is called Bagua. Fuli Town has a history of over 1000 years and has become a popular place to buy handmade fans which are produced and painted there. As everywhere in Yangshuo county Fuli and Mushan are surrounded by spectacular karst hills and the waters of the Li River.
Chaolong
This town is actually made up of 3 villages: Yima, 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 from mud bricks and villagers live their lives as they have done for hundreds of years. Although only a short distance from Yangshuo it often seems as time stands still in these small rural villages. This area can be seen easily on a bike ride or walk starting from our hotel incorporated with a course at the local cooking school (link to blog page with local vendors) or a bamboo raft ride on the river.
Stone Village
The Stone Village is located North of Yangshuo about a 20 minute drive up the mountains. Its main feature is that all of the houses in this remote village are not made from traditional mud or ash brick but from locally quarried stone. Many of the houses are still in good condition, while there are also abandoned properties in various state of disrepair. There are only a couple of dozen families still left here, so it's an interesting look at how villages adapt and maintain their traditional life.
Yangdi
Yangdi is an old small village between Guilin and Yangshuo on the shores of the Li River. It takes about 1hr 15 min to get there by bus. Yangdi is interesting on its own but is also the starting point of a beautiful hike to Xingping.
Xingping
Xingping is a small town which you can explore in about 1 hour. It has a long history and many buildings date back to the Qing and Ming dynasties. On market days the town comes to life and can get quiet busy with locals from the surrounding villages coming to buy and sell produce. The scenery around Xingping is magnificent and you can take a walk out of town on a nice path which crosses a tributary of the Li River and takes you onto a smaller road that runs along the river. After about a 45 min walk you will reach the spot where you can see the picture which is printed on a 20 RMB note. If you continue on this path you will get to the tiny village Langshi. There are boats nearby to bring you to Yangdi or Xing Ping from where you can take a bus back to Yangshuo.
Market days:
- Yangshuo & Xingping: 3, 6, 9, 13, 16, 19, 23, 26 and 29 of every month
- Fuli: 2, 5, 8, 12, 15, 18, 22, 25 & 28 of every month
- Baisha: 1, 4, 7, 11, 14, 17, 21, 24 & 27 of every month
Local produce:
- Pomeloes: First introduced to this area around three hundred years ago at the end of the Ming Dynasty, this highly visible fruit is slightly larger than a western grapefruit. In addition it peels very easily and is much sweeter than you might expect. While they become ripe in October, try to choose an old tree for the very best tasting examples.
- 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.
- 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's 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 handicrafts:
- Fans: Hand-painted, decorative fans are one of the most popular souvenirs to take home, especially for those visiting Fan Street in Fuli, where many local artisans specialize in this ancient art.
- Chinese Landscape Painting: Yangshuo has always been a magnet for painters and a very definitive style has evolved over the years. Who could head home without at least a couple of delicately brushed scrolls in their case to liven up the office wall?
- Embroidered Decorative Balls: Hugely 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 usually used them as love tokens
Yangshuo is fast becoming the climbing Mecca of Asia, with over 70,000 peaks there is an almost endless opportunity for new routes to be bolted and crags to be explored Because of the diversity of peaks, climbers of all levels can practice their climbing skills and in Yangshuo there is also a range of climbing schools to choose from. If you are an absolute beginner or an expert climber looking to do some traditional climbing Yangshuo has it all. YSMR is an excellent base for all those budding climbers wanting to explore the crags in the area. We are located right in the heart of the peaks with Tongmen Hill only a stones throw away and Moon Hill a 30 minute bike ride through the local villages and rice fields. We can also organize all of your climbing trips with trusted schools in Yangsdhuo, just inquire at reception upon arrival.
Below are listed our Recommended Schools
Chinaclimb
Chinaclimb is the first and leading rock climbing guiding company in China. Formed back in 2001 by two Australian mates and one of China's top climbers, Chinaclimb is now staffed by a multi national team who are passionate about adventure. www.chinaclimb.com
Karst Climber
Karst Café was one of the pioneers of rock climbing in Yangshuo, and has introduced more than 300 groups to the stunning climbing opportunities offered in Yangsdhuo county. The club was established in 1999 and provides a wide range of climbing trips, offering professional climbing services and guides. Their English and Chinese speaking guides cater to all levels so whether you are an old hand or just want to try your hand, Karst Café can assist. http://www.karstclimber.com
A new outfit in town run by former guides from China Climb is Terra Tribes, as well as the Red Rock Climbing Bar.
Rock climbing as a sport in china started in 1992 when a US climber called Todd Skinner did one of his early Asia tours. Over the next 15 years Yangshuo took centre stage in Chinas small fringe sport climbing seen Many routes were bolted and a great number of climbing athletes from around the world visited Yangshuo to carve their name in the steep Karst towers which makeup this iconic landscape. During this time the climbing here became more and more well known through the climbing communities of the world as climbing article after climbing article appeared with photos of Moon hill, Twin gates, Banyan tree crag and many others. In 2008 the first international climbing event was held, the Black Dimond North Face Climbing Festival.
Visiting athletes, Cedar Wright and James Pearson attended and over 300 people took part in this, not just first for Yangshuo, but first for China International Climbing festival. The event its self was a great success. However its repercussions went unpredicted by all and only became apparent in the months and years following this first event. Access problems had always been hanging around in the background of Yangshuo climbing with many crags suffering periodic access problems.
These were small and were largely ignored by the community. After the first festival many local people started to believe that there is much money to be made from rock climbing. Ownership was claimed over many of the crags, bolts on some crags were chopped after climbers did not pay for access and even disputes between villages over who controls access rights to different crags started. Climbers started an access fund and had many meetings with local people all without much success.
The next few years access was difficult at many crags but luckily climbers still refused to pay for climbing. They just kept bolting new routes on new cliffs in the area; there is so much rock in Yangshuo and the people who were creating access problems were not in communication with each other so after a short time there was lots of new routes to climb on new crags and all crags with access problems were left alone. Two more years passed and nearly all the access issues disappeared as no one was making money charging for crag access, the access fund had also gone.
This is good for climbing in China as a whole, in China nothing is free, people put walls and gates around everything they can and sell gate tickets and this very nearly happened with climbing too. From 2010 on, the development of climbing in China has shifted to exploring more and more new areas with climbing routes of all types being developed in all directions. Now China has a national climbing team, around 20 international competitions a year with cash prizes and many climbing festivals and events all over the country.
The new generation of Yangshuo climbers are really pushing the grades and training harder than the small climbing community that grew up here in the beginning. Currently Yangshuo has only one internationally recognised 9a route (5.14d) and two Yangshuo climbers: Abon and Dawei who are competing to see who will be the first Chinese climber to complete this line. Meanwhile there are two girls (Junbao and Xiaoting) competing to see who will be the first Chinese girl to climb 5.14a (8b+) all taking place here in Yangshuo, the home of Chinese rock climbing and still at the cutting edge of climbing in Asia. To arrange climbing with Eben, you can email him from here.
