In the past, I always thought that Chinese landscape paintings are the ideals of the romanticism of the painters, after viewing the Guilin's landscapes, I have known that they are the portraits of the realism.
--Herry Kissinger, former Secretary of State of America 1979
If saying that Guilin is a life body, the Li River is the soul of Guilin absolutely.
Li Rive, originating from Mao'er Mountain, Xing¡¯an County, flows 83-kilometer journey boat from Guilin down the river to Yangshuo, just like a jade ribbon winding among the green hills to form the world's largest-scale and the most beautiful tourism spots. When you travel on cruise down the Li Rive, you will view the inverted image of fantastic peak, blue water and green hill, the leisurely cowboy and fishing fisherman, the simple and unsophisticated rural household and fresh air etc -- all of these are full of poetic and pictured flavor.
At present, the approved sightseeing tour on Li River to the public are three parts: Sightseeing Tour on Water within Guilin city, Prime Tour on Li River and Sightseeing Tour on Water in Yangshuo.
The following scenic spots, the brief introduction of the Prime Tour on Li River, are the highlight of this magnificent picture scroll.
Nine-Ox Playing Water (Oxen Gorge): Here, the water direction of Li River turns around in haste; the water reaching divides itself into two branches, thus cutting the beach, lying crosswise before the breaches, into three islets. The water flaps the islets, where there are green grass and crossed lotus bamboo, and some- times you may watch a picture of leisurely cowboy. There are nine rocks -- a legend saying that they are changed from nine oxen. Hence this spot is called ¡±Nine-Ox Playing Water¡±.
Yearning-for-Husband's Return Rock: After Oxen Gorge, on the right bank of Li River, you will look at ¡°Yearning-for-Husband's Return Rock¡±. On the hill there are two human-shaped rocks, one on the top, wearing the ancient clothes, stands watching north- ward, the other one on the slope, a woman with a baby on her back, is gazing far. There are all kinds of legends about Yearning-for-Husband's Return Rock.
One-side Ferry: about 2km far from ¡°Colorful Embroidery Hill¡±, on the left bank of Li River has a huge camel-like stone hill. The overlapping rocks steep into clouds and the ridges and peaks look like piles of lotus blooms from water, which invert reflection in green wave and blue water. That is ¡°Here formed the superb scenery of landscape, the cliff divided the river into one-side ferry.¡±
Caoping Village: located on the left hank of Li River, 29kin far from me south of Guilin city. It was a water post in ancient time. Here are so many hills and trees.
When you walk around the screen-like precipices, you will see the special scenic spots.
The Scenery of Yangdi Village: 46kin far from Guilin city, the rows of green bamboo and trees forming into ten-mile green screen on both banks of Yangdi. Among the green hills, elegant water, flying waterfall and narrow beach, it makes you a feeling of quiet and deep.
Looking at the Yangdi from the Renzai mountain at the back of village, a picture with colorful natural landscapes will be showing before you: crisscross footpaths between islets and the mattress-like plants; the rows of green bamboo and trees in village and the rising smoke from kitchen chimneys; fishing raft flickering on the water and cormorant playing water; the cattle .and coats singing among the hills and streams and the cowboy fluting melodiously. If it is overcast-rainy day, you will see a famous charming sight of Li River---Misty Rain of Yangdi, like a Chinese landscape painting, the hills standing in the green water and the scenery so subtle and daze.
The landscapes of Langshi Village: on the left of Li River, in the blue tree sea, there are so many houses with green bricks and red tiles standing by the river, this is Langshi Village. From here, you are entering the prime scenic spots of Li River tour: on the right, there are Big Yellow Hill, Writing-brush Peak, Pen Rack Hill and Lion Hill etc which are overlapping; on the left, there are Guanyin Hill, White Rabbit Hill, Golden Cock Mountain etc with different shapes. Only here, you can understand the boat traveling along the hills, but do not feel the hills turnaround and waves returning. Look forward, the water through the gorges, look aside the gorges setting off the sail- boat's image. Sometimes the cloud shading and the fog winding, mist-covered water and subtle hills and fields to form a fairyland.
Horses Galloping on Fresco Hill: 60km far from Guilin, near Fresco Hill Village, the east bank of Li River. The five peaks join together, steep and flat as if they were cut. The cliff-faces are dazzled by a riot of color, appearing to be a huge colored wall painting which suggested nine horses with different in figures. So it is named ¡°Horses Galloping on Fresco Hill¡±, short name is ¡°Fresco Hill¡±. These nine horses are lifelike in posture, or standing or lying, or rushing or spring; or drinking or soaring. About this spot, Xu Yun, a Qing dynastic poet, wrote a poem appraising ¡°The hill looks like a picture since ancient time, while nowadays, the picture looks like a hill. A horse-picture shows nine paths and the unique item can be found in the world.¡±
Yellow Cloth Beach: because there is a big off-white stone block on the bottom of beach, like a piece of ¡°Yellow Cloth¡±, so this name comes into being. Here are the most beautiful scenic spots along Li River. The water likes mirror, blue and clear; the green bamboo embracing the bank with elegant figures; the chain of mountains, green bamboo, blue sky and white cloud are reflecting in the water. The hill and water combine into one body, the water and sky merge in one color. The best poem which can summary this scenic spot is ¡°It is obvious, that you can see the top of hill, but the cruise is traveling on the top of hill.¡± wrote by Yuan Mu, a Qing dynasties poet.
Xing ping Town: An ancient town, based on the hill at the back and overlooking the river, the scenic spots of Li River gather together here. There are numerous attractions around: east are Monks and Nuns Gathering, Lion Watching the Sky, Arhat Sunning his Belly etc; north are the God of Longevity Riding Donkey, Camel crossing the River etc; west are Penholder Hill and Beauty Peak etc; south is spacious, the Luoshi Hill, Carp Hill and the group of hills far away are set off each other, high or low, dense or sparse.
Here the Li River flows in zigzag, just deeper and ore blue. The scenic spots both sides sprinkle on the water just like ink. Scattered trees, new reed, red sail, farmhouse seen to be beset in a landscape pain- ting. It is hard to describe this charming scene. Even the landscape of Xingping was used on the Chinese currency--the landscape on£¤20 RMB (1999 version) is from the Xingping, which locates on the left bank of Li River.
Fishing Village: locates on the east of Li River and the side of Carp Hill, it built in Zhengde Period, Ming dynasty (AC 1506-1521). The people in the village mainly make a living on the fishing, the trained- cormorant (also naming fish hawk) is the good assistant for them for fishing. Besides, the bamboo rafts, not wood rafts, are their traffic tools. It is a unique spot, different from that in other place in China. When your cruise travels here, you may land to the Fishing Village, and go fishing together with fishermen, experience once fisherman's living and taste the fresh and delicious Li River Fish; or visit the ancient buildings with Qing Dynastic style, how charming is this trip.
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