Yangshuo (阳朔) is a small county town among karst peaks on the Li River, south of Guilin, where the Li River cruise ends. West Street, the Yulong River valley and the old town of Xingping are free to walk. You pay for bamboo rafts, the night show Impression Sanjie Liu and viewpoints such as Xianggong Hill. The railway station named Yangshuo is in Xingping, not in town. If you arrive on the Li River cruise, plan two nights for the arrival evening and one full Yulong River countryside day. Add a third night for a separate full day around Xingping and Xianggong Hill.
What is Yangshuo?
Yangshuo is the countryside half of a Guilin trip. The town itself is small: West Street, its main lane, has more than 1,400 years of history, keeps buildings in the Ming and Qing style of northern Guangxi and runs down to the Li River. What people come for lies outside it: limestone peaks standing in rice paddies, the slow Yulong River, and the stretch of the Li River near Xingping that is printed on the back of the RMB 20 note.
What to see, and what it costs
| Sight | What it is | Cost and hours |
|---|---|---|
| West Street | The old pedestrian street of the town: cafes, bars and restaurants serving beer fish, quiet by day and loud at night. It ends at the Li River | Free; open all day |
| Yulong River | A tributary of the Li River, more than 40 km long and nicknamed the Little Li River. Boatmen pole bamboo rafts over small weirs, and a cycling route follows the banks past the Ming-dynasty Yulong and Fuli bridges | Valley free; rafts RMB 200–320 for two people in a June 2026 guide |
| Xingping | An old town on the Li River north of Yangshuo, with more than 1,700 years of history. From its pier, rafts go to Yellow Cloth Shoal, the view on the back of the RMB 20 note | Town free; Li River rafts listed from RMB 90, about 09:00–16:30 |
| Xianggong Hill | A hilltop viewpoint on the west bank of the Li River in Xingping township, above a great bend of the river. The steps are steep and take about 20 minutes. Photographers come for sunrise and mist | Ticketed; 04:30–19:00 |
| Impression Sanjie Liu | A night show performed on the Li River with the peaks as its backdrop, directed by Zhang Yimou, Wang Chaoge and Fan Yue. There is no continuous story and the songs are not translated; you watch it for the staging | Listed from RMB 238; evening, times vary |
Yulong River bamboo rafts: sections and prices
The rafts run in sections between named piers, and you book a section, not the whole river. The upper section from Jinlong Bridge to Jiuxian is the quieter one; the lower sections end near the cycling road called the Ten-Mile Gallery. The table shows what a Chinese travel guide listed in June 2026.
| Section | Time | Listed price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jinlong Bridge to Jiuxian | About 90 minutes | RMB 320 per two-person raft | Nine weirs; passes the Ming-dynasty Yulong Bridge |
| Jima to Gongnong Bridge | About 90 minutes | RMB 320 per two-person raft | Nine weirs; more villages on the banks |
| Shui’edi to the main pier | About 40 minutes | RMB 200 per two-person raft | Four weirs; queues in peak season |
| Fuli Bridge pier | About 40 minutes | RMB 280 per four-person raft | No weirs; calm water |
| Wanjing pier | About 30 minutes | RMB 45 per person on an eight-person raft | No weirs; the only section that takes children under 1 m and people over 70 |
- Children under 1 m, people over 70, pregnant women and people with heart conditions are not allowed on the two-person rafts.
- The official booking channels are the WeChat mini programs 遇龙河景区 and i游阳朔. The same guide says the next day’s tickets are released at 20:00 and popular piers sell out quickly.
- Prices and sections change. Check them on the day you book, and take the listed figures as a guide to scale.
- If you would rather not raft, cycle the riverside lanes. The scenery is the same and nothing needs booking.
Tickets and practical notes
- Xianggong Hill concessions listed: children aged 6 and under or up to 1.2 m free; ages 6–18 and students half price; ages 60–64 half price; 65 and over free. Ask whether a passport is accepted as proof of age.
- Impression Sanjie Liu is outdoors, so rain changes the evening. Children under 1.2 m are listed as free.
- West Street is loud until late. If you want to sleep early, stay by the Yulong River and come into town for dinner.
- The dish to order is beer fish (啤酒鱼), river fish braised with beer, tomato and chilli.
Getting there and around
- The classic way in is the Li River cruise from Guilin, which ends in Yangshuo. Your luggage has to travel by road, so plan that before the cruise day.
- Yangshuo Railway Station is in Xingping, not beside the hotels in town. Treat the station and your hotel as two separate places when you plan the transfer.
- In town you walk. For the Yulong River you need a bicycle, an electric scooter or a car; for Xingping and Xianggong Hill you need a car.
How many days in Yangshuo
- Arrival day: come in on the Li River cruise, check in, and walk West Street in the evening.
- Full day one: the Yulong River countryside by bicycle or raft, at an easy pace.
- With a third night: a second full day for Xingping and the RMB 20 view, with Xianggong Hill early for the light. The night show fits either evening.
- In this cruise-arrival outline, two nights leave one full day between arrival and departure.
Yangshuo questions
Where is Yangshuo?
In Guangxi in southern China. It is a county of Guilin, south of the city on the Li River, at the end of the Li River cruise.
How many days do I need in Yangshuo?
For a Li River cruise arrival, plan two nights: the arrival evening and one full Yulong River countryside day. Add a third night if you want a separate full day for Xingping and Xianggong Hill.
Is West Street free to visit?
Yes. West Street is a public street, open all day with no ticket.
How much is a bamboo raft on the Yulong River?
A June 2026 guide lists RMB 320 per two-person raft for the two 90-minute sections, RMB 200 for a 40-minute section, and RMB 45 per person on the short Wanjing section. Check the price when you book.
Where is the view on the RMB 20 note?
On the Li River at Xingping, north of Yangshuo town. Rafts from Xingping’s pier go to Yellow Cloth Shoal, where the scene is.
How do I get from Guilin to Yangshuo?
By the Li River cruise, by road, or by train to Yangshuo station, which is in Xingping and still needs a road transfer to town.
Should I stay in Guilin or Yangshuo?
Both, if you can. Guilin is the arrival city and the start of the cruise; Yangshuo is where the countryside is. Our five-day route gives each two nights.
Sources(7)
- Yangshuo sights: listed prices on 10 October 2026Trip.com Group (Ctrip)
- West Street listing: history and hoursTrip.com Group (Ctrip)
- Yulong River listing: length, raft sections and bridgesTrip.com Group (Ctrip)
- How to book Yulong River raft tickets (26 June 2026)Sina Travel
- Xingping listing: history, pier and the RMB 20 viewTrip.com Group (Ctrip)
- Xianggong Hill listing: location, hours and concessionsTrip.com Group (Ctrip)
- Impression Sanjie Liu listing: the show and its directorsTrip.com Group (Ctrip)