The Li River or Li Jiang is a famous river in the province of Guangxi. It offers a most enjoyable boat ride amid Guangxi’s most beautiful karst peaks. Departing from Guilin, the unforgettable landscapes in the shape of “sugar loaves” are displayed during the cruise to the small village of Yangshuo. Along the 86-kilometer waterway, you will see karst peaks, grazing water buffalo, farmers working in the fields, and traditional villages nestled at the bases of the hills.

There are several ways to tour the Li River: take a relaxing cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo, take a bamboo raft trip, and hike alongside the Li River to get closer to nature. The most relaxing and popular way is to take a cruise.

The stretch of the Li River between Yangdi and Xingping certainly offers the most beautiful of all the landscapes in the region. The cruises that are organized between Guilin and Yangshuo sail on this part. During this journey, you might see some people with their conical hats, and bamboo rafts. They are the cormorant fishermen who will show you China’s ancient past and a way of life long-missed in the west.

But to avoid the crowds of these tourist cruises, you will be more comfortable taking a walk from Yangdi to the hill of 9 horses on a bamboo raft. Ideally, it is recommended to take the walk in the early afternoon when the cruise ship lines have disappeared. After the raft ride, a 1.5-hour hike is possible on a path along the banks of the Li River, from 9-horse hill to Xingping village.