The Li River in Guilin is a famous scenic spot in China. It is known for its stunning karst landscape, with unique peaks and clear waters. The river flows through Guilin and Yangshuo, offering picturesque views that have been celebrated in Chinese poetry and art for centuries. “The landscapes of Guilin is the finest under heaven”, while the misty rain over the Li River of Guilin is a kind of mysterious beauty. In the past April, I accompanied a Dutch tour group to experience the breathtaking Li River veiled in misty rain. 

It started raining in the morning when we boarded the bus. It took us around one hour from Guilin Hotel to Zhujiang Pier. The pier terminal is quite small and crowded, not many seats to sit. At 08:50 we checked in and boarded the cruise ship, and the ship departed at 09:20. 

The ship we took was of 4-star standard. It was quite clean and comfortable. Usually the cruise ship includes three decks. The ground and second decks are for passenger seating. The seats on the second deck are more expensive. The top deck is an open deck where passengers can stand and enjoy freely the scenery of the Li River. The ship also has a dining area and washrooms. The cruise journey from Zhujiang Pier of Guilin to Longtoushan Pier of Yangshuo is approximately 83 km which takes around 4.5 hours. 

Passengers could go up to the top deck shortly after the ship left the pier. As the boat glided along, countless karst peaks unfolded—each uniquely shaped like a rooster, a snail, or even a scholarly boy. Some stood crisp against the sky, while others faded mysteriously into the mist. It’s an endless visual feast. We were so lucky that every moment we passed by the beautiful karst mountains, the rain stopped for a while. So we could go to the top deck to take photos and enjoy the breathtaking views on the Li River. Standing on the top deck, I just felt I was drifting through a paining. 

One of the hills at Yangdi section is called “Nine Horses Fresco Hill”. It says the cleverest one can find the shapes of 9 horses on the vertical cliff face of this hill. 

At noon, a simple Chinese buffet lunch was served on the boat. Soon after lunch, the ship arrived at Xingping section. This is one of the most beautiful sections on Li River. The scenery on the back of Chinese 20 yuan note just refers here. 

At around 13:20, our ship arrived at Longtoushan Pier of Yangshuo. 

From the pier to the parking lot (for big tour buses), we decided to take a walk to see how far it was. We first walked through the covered walkway lined with all kinds of souvenirs along the river, which was so busy (about 10 minutes). Then we passed by a small road where locals were selling vegetables (about 10 minutes). Dutch people were quite interested to see a local market. 

We continued our way through a nice park (Yangshuo Park) till to the parking lot (about 10 minutes). So it was about half an hour on foot from the pier to the big parking lot. Tourists can also choose to take electric car if they carry luggage or don’t want to walk long. 

In between, there's a small parking lot (for cars only) at about the halfway point, requiring just a 15-minute walk for visitors.

We boarded the bus and headed for the hotel. It was the end of our Li River Cruise tour. Here is the map of the tour. The cruise is from Zhujiang Pier to Longtou Mountain Pier. 

Yours Truly

Sunny Qiao - Charmission Travel