About Li River Cruise
The Li River cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo is one of China's most celebrated travel experiences, an 83-kilometer journey through a landscape so iconic it appears on the 20-yuan banknote. The river winds between dramatic karst peaks — limestone formations that rise vertically from the flat valley floor, their surfaces covered in green vegetation.
Along the way, you'll see water buffalo grazing on riverbanks, fishermen in traditional bamboo rafts with trained cormorants, and small villages nestled among the peaks. The scenery changes constantly as the river winds through the karst landscape, with each bend revealing new compositions of rock, water, and sky. The cruise takes 4-5 hours, with lunch served on board. Many travelers continue from Yangshuo to explore the countryside by bicycle or bamboo raft.
What Not to Miss
The 20-yuan note viewpoint — the exact scene depicted on China's currency.
Water buffalo and cormorant fishermen — traditional scenes unchanged for centuries.
The Nine Horse Mural Hill — a cliff face with natural rock formations resembling horses.
