Yangshuo,a Small County with Grand Beauty

Are you bored of the hustle and bustle of city life, or want to have a breath of natural fresh air, or are you curious about diverse cultures and exotic flavors in China? Please come to Yangshuo, a small county in southern China full of what you want. In the 1980s, many foreign backpackers were drawn here by the introduction of the county in the “Lonely Planet”. Now, the county greets its guests with more charms and attractions.

Yangshuo lies in the northeast of Guangxi Province and to the southeast of Guilin City. The special geography gives it breath-taking beauty while over 1,400 years of history bless it with a deep traditional culture. The diverse ethnic minority groups including Hui, Zhuang, Yao and others, enrich it with special folk cultures represented by their various festivals; while many foreign residents add exotic flavors to its fascination.

West Street (Xi Jie)

West Street is the oldest street in Yangshuo with a history of more than 1,400 years. Situated at the center of Yangshuo County, West Street has become, since the 1980’s, a window of eastern and western culture and the biggest ‘foreign language center’ in China. West Street is the most prosperous district in Yangshuo, and, each year, approximately 100,000 foreigners come here on their travels or to attend advanced studies. Visitors are attracted to West Street by its unique mix of cultures.

West Street is 517 meters (1,696 feet) long and 8 meters (26 feet) wide, meandering in an ‘S’ along its length. Being completely paved with marble it is a typical example of a southern China street. It is greatly admired by foreigners for its simple style and courtyard-like setting. There is a saying about West Street that ‘half is village while the other half is stores’.

Because, at times, foreigners outnumber Chinese, West Street is also called “foreigners’ street”. Don’t be surprised if you hear English words spoken by elderly Chinese women, for West Street is called “the global village”. Besides the local accent of Yangshuo, English has become the language for daily use. West Street is modern and fashionable, nearly every store has bilingual shop signs, and more than 20 stores have been opened by foreigners who have settled here.

Chinese visiting West Street may think they are in a foreign country, while foreigners come here to search for the ancient civilization of China. However, whether you are Chinese or a foreigner, West Street is a terrific place to take a rest, both physical and psychological. West Street will drive all of your pressures and burdens away, and give you a calmer view of life. It shows different faces at different times: calm and peaceful in the morning, while trendy and modern in the evening. Traveling to West Street is an experience to be with the landscape, with the people, with the soul, and with yourself.

Visiting West Street, you will be surrounded by an array of traditional folk and amazing international elements. Various shops, craftworks shops, painting and calligraphy stores, backpack shops, cafes, and Chinese Kung Fu academies jostle for attention. You may see a multitude of items, from embroidered silk cloth, wax-painted weaving, to tiny shoes worn by women before the liberation of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. In addition, elsewhere on the street you may find bars and cafes, some run by foreigners, decorated with bamboo rafts, fish baskets, wax-painted tablecloths, and so on.

There is something you can not miss in the West Street

Typical local dish:

Beer Fish fresh fish caught from the clear water of Li River, with a delicate sauce, the fish tastes great with beer. It’s a wonderful dish to stimulate your appetite.

Characteristic cafes:

MeiYou Cafe: “Meiyou” means “we don’t have”. The reason for this shop sign reflects the promise of the host: “Meiyou warm beer, Meiyou lousy food, Meiyou rip-offs, Meiyou bad service”. Anne’s Art Cafe: famous for its first-class food qualification, and competitive price. Each dish here can be called an art.

Special tourist vehicle:

Bicycle. As a saying goes: “no bike, no Yangshuo”. Rent a bike to appreciate the elegant scenery as well as feel the air of village.

Moon Hill

People can get to Moon Hill (Yueliang Shan) from Fenglou village, Gaotian town, near Guilin. It is a huge slice of rock with a round hole in its center, and you mount 800 steps on a marble paved mountain path to reach it. At various angles it resembles from the new moon to a full moon. The rock measures 380 m (height) by 410 m (length) by 220 m (width).

Legend has it that there is a Guanghan Palace on the moon inhabited by the beauty Chang’e, the Jade Rabbit, and Wu Gang the woodcutter. People in olden days thought they saw these immortals when they came upon spots on the moon’s surface. Visitors to Moon Hill call to each other’s attention that there are nature formed rock images of Chang’e, the Jade Rabbit and Wu Gang the woodcutter.

With 14 rock-climbing routes on the northwest side, Moon Hill offers sufficient challenge to bothand professional climbers.

The region around Moon Hill is endowed with beautiful sight. Many mountain rocks are in particular shapes which bring visitors infinite reverie. Local people call this picturesque scenic sight “Ten-li Gallery”. The beautiful land attracted the former US President Carter to have a visit. Having heard the interesting scenery along the “Ten-li Gallery”, he hired a bicycle to roam the land instead of taking a car.

The area is included in an official plan for tourism development. In 1995, the local government built a bicycle path for visitors to freely enjoy the natural scenery along the path. The major scenic sights along the path are given vivid names according to their shapes, such as the Flaming Mountain, Heavenly Horse Galloping in the Sky, Golden Cat Comes Out of the Hole, the Emperor Qin Shihuang Goes to the Front and the Beauty Makes Up.

“Impression on Sanjie Liu”

Maybe you have heard of or watched the film “Sanjie Liu” produced in 1961, which made the Li River famous worldwide. Sanjie Liu is a fairy singer in the myths and legends of the Zhuang ethnic minority. She is incomparably beautiful, and has voice to match her beauty. In Shuoyang, you can witness a performance of “Impression on Sanjie Liu”, which was premiered on March 20th, 2004 at the Sanjie Liu Sing Fair, one mile from West Street. This is the world largest natural theater which utilizes the waters of the Li River as its stage.

In the “Impression on Sanjie Liu”, what you can see are the impressions derived from the daily life of the people living around the Li River, rather than the specific details of the stories. From these impressions, you will gain a realistic impression on the background of Sanjie’s birthplace and understand the beauty of the folk songs’ hometown.

The performance is divided into seven chapters including the preface and epilogue. At the beginning, the lights are all turned off and the image of Sanjie appears indistinctly in the sky with beautiful songs “Sing the folk songs, here I am singing and there you are echoing...”. As the lights come up, the twelve hills appear in front of the audients; and a small fishing boat is rowed from the hills. This is the Preface - the Legend of Hills and Rivers.

The first chapter is the Red Impression: Folk Songs. On the water, many fishermen are rowing their bamboo rafts in a column. Either standing or squatting, they hang the large red silk in the sky and or upon the water. This red picture symbolizes the enthusiasm and praises the labors of the local people.

The second chapter is the Green Impression: Garden. The color green symbolizes nature as well as the vitality. Among the green hills and rivers, the smoke from cooking fires curls upward; herders are heading home with their cattle under the gleam of the sunset. The women, washing clothes beside the water are waiting for their husbands who are rowing the fishing rafts back home. This chapter reveals the peaceful and happy life of the local people.

The third chapter is the Golden Impression: Fishing Lights. Hundreds of bamboo rafts with golden fishing lights are spreading all over the river. The rafts, gently rocking make the golden fishing lights dance upon the waters, the straw rain capes, the frolic cormorants and the hills construct a perfect picture describing the simple existence of the people around the Li River.

The fourth chapter is the Blue Impression: Love Songs. Under the deep blue sky, and on the dark blue water, the performer of Sanjie is singing classical love songs. Then, a crescent-shaped boat with a charming fairy dancing in is flying onto the surface of the water. A group of pretty and young girls, dressed in red or white are bathing around the boat. In this blue world, these beautiful girls seem to become the notes of Sanjie’s love songs.

The last chapter is the Silvery Impression: Performance Grand Ceremony. As the “Wonder of Lijiang Culture”, this scenery reflects the traditional ceremony in Sanjie’s hometown according to the legend. Over 200 Zhuang girls form a long column across the bridge over the Li River. Their silver dresses make the river shimmer in a mysterious manner.

In the Epilogue, the fishing rafts are rowed farther and farther from the audience while the beautiful songs of Sanjie are still echoing among the hills. The girls on the bridge present their thanks for the audience with their affectionate folk songs.

Except for the perfect seven pictures, the performance also boasts both modern and classical music played by famous musicians of China. Additionally, there are in excess of 600 performers, all of whom are local people of the Li River. They present the reality of life for the people in Sanjie’s hometown through their primitive and wonderful performances.

Tips:

1. From March to August, especially in May and June, bring an umbrella because rain is frequent.

2. The facilities may be crowded and rates for accommodations, transportation and other travel essentials will be higher than usual in the long-time holiday..