Li River, Xingping Section

The Li River between Xingping and Yangshuo is the stretch most people picture when they think of Guilin. Karst peaks rise straight from the water, bamboo rafts drift past, and the river bends around Nine Horse Fresco Hill before reaching the old town of Xingping. This is the section featured on the back of the ¥20 note, and it is the section most worth slowing down for.

Where it is

Xingping is a small town on the west bank of the Li River, roughly 25 km downstream from Yangshuo and about 60 km from Guilin. The classic scenic cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo passes through this stretch, but the boats do not stop at Xingping. To see the section properly, you come here by road and get on the water at Xingping itself.

What you actually do here

The main attraction is the river, and there are two ways to be on it. The first is a motorised raft from the Xingping pier, which runs downstream past the Twenty Yuan Note viewpoint and the Nine Horse Fresco Hill, then turns back. The second is a short ferry crossing to the far bank, from where you can walk along the river and look back at the town and the peaks behind it.

On land, Xingping Old Street is a single stone-paved lane running back from the river, lined with old brick houses, small guesthouses and places to eat. It takes about fifteen minutes to walk end to end. Behind the town, a short climb up Laozhai Hill gives you the view that appears on the banknote: the river curving between two rows of peaks. The path is steep in places and takes around 40 minutes up.

When to come

  • Morning (roughly 7–9 am): the quietest time on the water, and the best light on the peaks. Rafts run from early morning.
  • Late afternoon (roughly 4–6 pm): good light from the other direction, and the day-trip crowds from Guilin have gone.
  • Avoid midday in July and August: heat, haze and the busiest rafts.
  • April to October: the wettest months, but also the greenest. The river runs higher and the reflections are stronger.
  • November to March: cooler, drier and much quieter, though some raft operators run reduced hours.

Practical notes

Xingping is reached by road from Yangshuo, with regular buses covering the roughly 25 km journey along the river valley.