Exploring the vibrant town of Yangshuo in China

We spent two weeks exploring this vibrant town Yangshuo. There are so many activities to do and sites to see here and it is known as being the capital for rock-climbing due to its stunning karst mountains. During our two weeks, we explored all parts of the town and one of my favourite things to see was around midday in the park, all of the older locals would play cards on the numerous amounts of tables, it was so lovely to see. There is also a small karst in the town park which you can walk up and see a beautiful view of the town and the valley. In terms of activities, we took a cooking class, we had a river tour on one of the traditional bamboo boats and we also visited the spot which is printed on the 20 Yuan note which is a must-see! Every night, the town puts on a spectacular light show on the Li river which is probably one of the most impressive shows I have ever seen. It really takes your breath away with the colours, the mountains and the talent of the performers, it is a must-see. And of course, rock climbing, you cannot come to Yangshuo without having a go at scaling one of the magnificent karst mountains. Another place I loved to go to was the ‘secret beach’ as the locals called it, which is quite hard to find but if you ask someone I’m sure they will show you on maps or even take you there. It is a tranquil little spot next to the Li River where people take barbecues and go for a swim. In the evenings we would spend our time slowly exploring the town and its vibrant lights, lanterns and energy, especially the main street called Xijie Street. Yangshuo comes alive at night and there is a certain atmosphere here in China that I have not experienced anywhere else in the world.

In terms of food and drink, a perfect spot for an afternoon craft beer is at Demo Bar which is just a 5 minute walk out of town overlooking the river. They do quiz nights here and great pizza. My favourite places to eat were at the small local street-food places, mainly along Chengzhong Road, where you pick all the vegetables you’d like and they stir fry it with whatever sauce you would like, and a side of rice or noodles, and it only costs 1 pound! Of course you have to try the local dumplings and the traditional dish of Beer Fish. My favourite bar was the Reggae Bar which was above a clothes shop on Xijie Street, here I played copious amounts of table football with the loveliest locals and danced to reggae until the early hours, I felt so welcomed here. Another incredible tradition around food in this town were the nighttime barbecues. Every night at around 10/11pm there would be about 20 barbecues set up along Binjiang Road next to the Li River, and families would sit and eat their dinner here on plastic chairs and tables spread across the street.

Our lovely friend Jane organised for us to stay at her incredibly beautiful countryside house. We got there by renting out mopeds and driving down the remote mountain roads which was a trip in itself! It was a traditional Chinese house with a view of the Li River and an open living area, mezzanine and kitchen. When we first arrived we relaxed by the river on her little private beach and watched the boats go by. We then took a trip up the river on another traditional bamboo boat and had a gorgeous view of the mountains and nature that line the river. We also walked to a nearby waterfall. For food, we packed lots of groceries and cooked a prawn and vegetable stir fry which was enjoyed by all. The next day, it seemed that Janes house was the spot for all of the village to come and relax, and so we spent the day getting to know the local families, from the grandparents to the 2 year old grandchildren. Overall, the experience was really authentic and I felt that we had seen a village that not many tourists would normally see, and I am very grateful for Jane for offering us to stay at her lovely home.