Yangshuo Ancient Town attraction

Why Yangshou is special
For over a thousand years, the Yangshou countryside has been a popular tourist destination and an inspiration for poets and painters. Its skyscraping cone-shaped peaks "sprout" out of the ground and are lushly blanketed with verdant subtropical vegetation. These peaks along with Yangshou's rivers and rice paddies are delightfully photogenic.

What to do outside Yangshou
Bike through the enchanting back roads of the Yangshou countryside. Hike on Yangshou's many trails. The best known one ascends Moon Hill, Yangshou's most famous site, which is situated just south of the town. Nature cut a gargantuan round hole near the top of Moon Hill (it's really a mountain peak). Moon Hill offers a stunning vantage point overlooking the Yangshou countryside (see photo).

Rock climb limestone peaks (this sport is becoming an increasingly popular Yangshou pastime). v Kayak, canoe or bamboo raft on beautiful Yulong River.

Take the Li River Cruise. If you are staying in Yangshou, take a morning shuttle bus north to Guilin (one hour), then cruise downstream (4 to 5 hours) back to Yangshou.

What to do in Yangshou True, little remains of Yangshou's once picturesque traditional architecture (it has been replaced with nondescript contemporary structures). Still, today's Yangshou can serve as a base for exploring the nearby countryside and as a place to unwind in the middle of your trip to China. Yangshou's two most interesting travel attractions are:
West Street (Xi Jie in Chinese) is Yangshou town's best known area. It is a long, narrow, pedestrian lane lined with restaurants, bars, hostels, small hotels, and souvenir stalls. West Street normally has a relaxed atmosphere that's ideal for outdoor cafe eating, drinking and camaraderie - except at about 3 p.m. That's when hundreds of Guilin based tourists move en mass like cattle through West Street on their way from their moored Li River Cruise ships to board their Guilin bound tour busses in the center of the town.

The Yangshou water show is a lavish spectacle with hundreds of synchronized performers with traditional outfits, river rafts and colorful props. The huge stage is an enclosed river inlet. Flood lit limestone peaks and the night sky form the theatrical backdrop. Seating is amphitheatre style.

Tips for your vacation tour or trip September and October are the ideal (but most crowded) months for visiting Yangshou.

Spring is pleasant but can be rainy