You can find the picture of the scenery of the Li River on a 20-yuan Chinese banknote. Li river is surrounded by stunning limestone landscapes and amazing village atmosphere. This place on our list just couldn’t be missed!
How to get to Xingping by bus
Our central point from which we took the hikes and excursions was the city of Xingping where we arrived by bus from Yangshuo Train Station (we came to Yangshuo Train Station by speed train from Shanghai). One ticket cost 10 yuan. Xingping is smaller and nowadays mainly a tourist town. The city is not developed as much as more famous Yangshuo, but offers easy access to the Li River and one of the most beautiful prospects! In this article we will mainly write about viewpoints, because they are perhaps the best activity in this landscape.
Laozhai mountain
Laozhai mountain offers the most beautiful view of the Li River and its surroundings in Xingping. The beggining of the hike is close to ferry station and in the forest. Then you have to climb the mountain for about half an hour to the top. The most popular time to climb is before sunset, so we recommend start climbing an hour earlier to catch the best spot (it is worthy!). Our accommodation This Old Place International Youth Hostel had an advantageous position as it was only a few meters before the start of the ascent.
Wuzhi hill (Cuiping hill)
One of the most beautiful viewpoints in the area, but at the same time new and undiscovered by tourists. There are several ways to get from Xingping to Wuzhi hill – bus, taxi, motorbike, but of course we chose the most demanding option, bike! Below we will describe how to get from Xingping to Wuzhi hill by bus or bike.
Bus from Xingping to Wuzhi hill
First you have to take a bus from Xingping to Yangshuo and there take a another bus to Putao. You can try to tell the driver about Wuzhi hill (show him a picture) and he can stop you nearby.
Bike trip from Xingping to Wuzhi hill
The way from Xingping to Wuzhi hill is 25 km long (25 km back, so 50 km in total) and passes through hilly terrain. So we tried to get better quality bikes to handle it (our hotel offeres ordinary bikes with a basket and without derailleurs). In the end, we managed to find bicycles for 30 yuan per day and without deposit at the grocery store near the bus station.
First we got by ferry across the river (one ticket costs 10 yuan), behind which we drove on the road that led up the hills. After just a few meters Anet broke the derailleur, but fortunately Tom managed to fix it. The end of the hill was out of sight, and to make matters worse, after 7 km we found out that we turned badly. Anet wanted to give up at the moment because she was mad at the bike (we had to get off the bike on the way up the hill and walk instead). But Tom didn’t admit that we could give up, so we went back on the right road and continued.
The road was lined with fruit groves, palm trees, bamboos and amazing views of the surrounding area. We had a chance to see the amazing agricultural landscape and its inhabitants. The suffering on the bike was definitely worth it!
About 4 km before finish we stopped in Putao village for water and lunch. Finally after 3 hours we arrived at the lookout gate. We paid 50 yuan per person and climbed an infinite number of stairs again. To our surprise, we were at the top of the mountain completely alone so we could enjoyed the view of the surroundings undisturbed. We saw fishermen, man on bamboo raft, rice fields, fruit groves and river bends. We spent about two hours on top and no tourists came during that time.
Where to stay in Xingping
If you are looking for something cheap, clean and with good location we would recommend you This Old Place International Youth Hostel. Hotel is about 200 m from the start of the hike on Laozhai mountain and it has also terrace with view on the city and river.
