Yangshuo County
Yangshuo County | |
|---|---|
| Chinese transcription(s) | |
| • Simplified | 阳朔县 |
| • Traditional | 陽朔縣 |
| • Pinyin | Yángshuò Xiàn |
 The town of Yangshuo from a nearby karst peak. The Li River can be seen in the background. | |
| Country | China |
| Region | Guangxi |
| Prefecture | Guilin |
| County seat | Yangshuo Town |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,428 km2 (551 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• Total | 300,000 |
| • Density | 210/km2 (540/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+8 (China Standard) |
| Website | http://www.yangshuo.gov.cn/ |
Yangshuo County (simplified Chinese: 阳朔县; traditional Chinese: 陽朔縣; pinyin: Yángshuò Xiàn) is a county in Guilin, Guangxi Province, China. Its seat is located in Yangshuo Town. Surrounded by karst peaks and bordered on one side by the Li River (漓江) it is easily accessible by bus or by boat from nearby Guilin. Over the years, it has become popular with foreign backpackers.
Layout
The town borders the Li River on one side, and is situated on a small plain between a number of karst peaks. Two main roads run away from the water and form the central part of the town, Chinese Street (Die Cui Lu) and West Street (西街, Xi Jie). Most foreign-oriented businesses, such as hostels, hotels, rock climbing companies, restaurants and entertainment venues, are situated on West Street or the pedestrian only Xian Qian Street which runs between Chinese and West Street.
Activities
 | This section is written like a travel guide. (April 2010) |
Visitors to Yangshuo can swim in the Li River or the cleaner Yu Long 遇龙河 (Dragon River), climb one of many nearby karst peaks, hire a bicycle for a cycling trip through the karst scenery, arrange a sightseeing trip on the Li River by bamboo raft or cruise boat, or visit a number of local cave systems, including a butterfly cave.
Zhang Yimou's folk musical, "Impression Liu Sanjie", is a popular extravaganza performed outdoors in a river and mountain setting with a cast of 600 singers and dancers.
Yangshuo is also China's foremost venue for rock climbing, with around 300 bolted routes and several companies offering guiding and equipment hire.
Much of the town's traditional culture has been absorbed into the tourist industry, and tourists can pay a fee to watch fishermen fishing with cormorants, hire local women in traditional ethnic dress to pose for photographs, or take classes in Chinese calligraphy, tea ceremony, or cooking.
Rock climbing
Rock climbing in Yangshuo was first put on the map by American climber Todd Skinner who visited in 1992, establishing a number of classic lines such as "Moonwalker" which traverses the famous Moon Hill arch.
Much of recent climbing history has been influenced by the establishment of the Australian owned company Chinaclimb in 2001. Other companies that have contributed include Karstclimber, X-Climber and Spiderman Climbing.
Approximately 200 routes are documented in the current edition of the Paul Collis Yangshuo climbing guidebook, and new routes are being established almost daily. The majority of these have been established by visiting foreign climbers or expatriates. While most routes are single-pitch bolted sport climbing routes, a growing number of multi-pitch sport routes are appearing as climbers venture above the first anchor. There is also great potential for traditional climbing.
The Yangshuo region has numerous locations for climbing, most easily accessible by bicycle, public bus or taxi-van. The most famous of these crags is Moon Hill with several 5.13 graded lines, first climbed by American Todd Skinner in 1992. Other crags of note include Low Mountain, Twin Gates, Baby Frog, The Egg, Bamboo Grove and Wine Bottle Cliff.
Landmarks
Sister cities
Yangshuo has city partnerships with the following cities and/or regions:
Since 1994: Morehead, Kentucky, United States- Rapid City, South Dakota, United States
Miscellany
- The picture on the back of the 20 yuan bill is taken at the Li River near Yangshuo.
- A digitalised photo of the distinctive scenery of Yangshuo was used in the landmark 1993 video game, Doom as one of the backgrounds.
External links
- Official website of Yangshuo County
- Guilin Tourism Organization
- Photo Gallery of Guilin, Li River, Yangshuo Town, and Longsheng Terraced Rice Field
- Photo Blog of Yangshuo and surrounding villages and rivers