Travel Notes | Guangxi Ink Painting Journey (1): Guilin Yangshuo Section
During the National Day holiday in 2018, Fulu Ankang went on its first long-distance expedition to Guangxi. This journey was not only long in distance but also long in duration, taking 12 days in total. At 4 a.m. on September 23, a group of three people and four cars departed from Shanghai, traveled nearly 1,700 kilometers and lasted 20 hours, arriving in Yangshuo County, Guilin City at 9:30 p.m.
Shanghai urban area -> Jinhua service area (about 295 kilometers) -> Fengcheng South service area (about 480 kilometers) -> Yongzhou service area (about 590 kilometers) -> Yangshuo County
There are many Starbucks in the Shanghai-Kunming section (Jiaxing, Chang'an, Jinhua), and the service areas are open to pets.
We set off at 4:30 in the morning and arrived at the Jinhua Service Area before 7:30. After entering Jiangxi, there are fewer vehicles and the whole journey is smooth. When we arrived in Yongzhou, Hunan, it was almost dusk and the road section was dark. According to the plan, we stopped 4 times in total. There are few people in the service station, and there is no barrier for furry babies to enter and exit. By the time we arrived in Yangshuo, it was past dinner time.
More than ten years ago, I first wandered around Guangxi and lived in Yangshuo for nearly a week. Back then, Yangshuo was very simple, with a short West Street and a mix of old and new Chinese and foreign. Xingping was a bit rundown in my memory. I took a photo with a background worth 20 yuan and left in a hurry.
Every time I come back, Yangshuo keeps changing. This time I accompany my hosts and revisit the old place, which is a different experience.
During this trip, we stayed in Xingping, Yangshuo for a total of 4 days. Excluding the first day and the day of departure, we actually only had 2 days of travel time. The itinerary arranged for Mao Wa is as follows:
D1 Arrive in Xingping in the evening
D2 Youxingping and West Street
D3 Tour Yulong River + Shili Gallery (hire a local tour guide) ; companions watch Liu Sanjie in the evening
D4 Leave for Daxin, passing through Guilin
When traveling in Guangxi, you must let go of yourself, go up to the world, and embrace the mountains and rivers, no matter what.
When going to Yangshuo, Guilin, how can we miss out on water activities?
Xingping has the best section of the Li River, and Yangshuo has the Yulong River section. The tour time and scenery are very different. The Li River Essence tour lasts a little longer, and the mountain scenery is relatively majestic; the Yulong River section tour time is optional, and the scenery is more lively and delicate.
This time we stayed in Xingping, where we could see the most beautiful scenery of the Lijiang River. For the bamboo rafting activity, we chose the shorter Yulong River section.
What used to float was the first half: Jinlong Bridge – Jiuxian County. This time, under the arrangement of the tour guide "Gongzhu", we boarded the boat at Shuiedi Pier and ended at Gongnongqiao Pier. Not to mention the beautiful scenery, every time we passed a bamboo raft, the boatmen and tourists took pictures of us and shouted "so many fox dogs"!
I usually don’t want to buy forced entrance photos of tourist attractions, so I couldn’t help but buy a few this time (pictures above and below on the right) as a souvenir for my furry kids.
This is the fourth Yulong River bamboo raft that Gou Nu has ridden on. The scenery on both sides is still the same, with many more hotels built along the water. The most surprising thing is that there are actually local sisters selling grilled fish by the water! If the guests on the bamboo raft want to eat, the boatman will bring the bamboo raft close to the barbecue stall and make a deal across the water. In order to prevent the masters from making noises on the boat, the dog slave with a bulging stomach had to give up the opportunity to have a taste.
Regarding whether children with furry children can board the ship:
I asked Chai Yu before, and he said that when he took his children there, he discussed it with individual boat operators. When we went there (October 2018), the scenic spot had long been under unified management, and all bamboo rafts were no longer operated by individuals. With a management company, the possibility of flexibility is also relatively reduced. Not wanting to be turned away at the first stop of the journey, the dog slave began to work hard on the Internet to do homework.
Finally, I found a local travel agency online (see introduction at the end of this article) and made inquiries about the terminal in advance. When we arrived at the scene, the "gang leader" tour guide assigned to us, Xiao Ge, took us to the boat in person, step by step. In the end, all the fur babies boarded the boat safely and successfully completed the Yangshuo landscape bamboo raft tour!
"Guilin's landscapes are the best in the world, and Yangshuo's landscapes are the best in Guilin." In addition to the flowing water, hiking is another good way to open up life in Yangshuo.
In Xingping, after leaving the hotel, there are several good places to watch the sunrise and sunset.
Xianggong Mountain
A well-developed park scenic spot with a 60-yuan ticket and extremely low climbing difficulty. Looking from the top of the mountain, you can see the Li River meandering through the peaks. The clouds are misty in the morning, and everything in front of you turns golden in the evening. The only drawback: there are too many tourists, so it is not suitable for furry babies.
laozhaishan
A viewing spot that Wai Guoren likes to go to for free to watch the sunrise and sunset on the Li River in Xingping. The mountain road is rugged and steep and was repaired by a Japanese who discovered the beautiful scenery in the first place. Near the top of the mountain, you need to climb a metal staircase that goes straight up and down to get to the top for a view. Disadvantages: It is not suitable for four-legged children to climb. The top of the mountain is steep and narrow, and it is even more unfeasible to climb the four King Kongs of Fortune, Luankang and Ankang together.
Zhuangyuan Trail
The three people and four people who couldn't climb the mountain and couldn't squeeze in the crowds, under the leadership of the tour guide "Gangzhu", walked a Zhuangyuan Trail that was neither high nor low, with no tourists and beautiful scenery.
The Zhuangyuan Trail is not far from the Gongnongqiao Pier, just behind the Yangshuo Riverside Resort Hotel. The itinerary can be arranged after completing the hiking and bamboo rafting at Shili Gallery, just in time to stretch your muscles and climb half a hill. The whole journey takes about half an hour and is very easy.
When you’re not hiking or rafting, there are many other land-based options.
Shili Gallery
In an era without furry babies, there weren’t so many worries. First rafting and then cycling, ride to the Jinlong Bridge to get on the bamboo raft, float down and get the bicycle back, then visit the "Ten Mile Gallery" in style, and then slowly roll back to Yangshuo. The original ecological countryside along this road, along the river, stretches of green, and the dirt road is constantly undulating.
Today, when traveling to the old place again and taking Chaibak with them, they have to consider the comfort of their trip, including the still hot weather here in September. The current "Shili Gallery" still does not charge tickets, but there are more traffic controls. External social vehicles are not allowed to enter or exit at will, including our tour guide’s car. The tour guide made an appointment with a colleague who lived within the Shili Gallery area, handed us over at the door, and took us inside. Of course, there are other ways to visit: scenic buses, bicycles, battery cars or hiking.
The scenery of Shili Gallery is still the same, but the hiking route is better repaired and there are no more ups and downs. Every step brings scenery, both Ren Ren and Chai enjoy this dog walking feast.
A foreign teacher is lecturing with students.
Dong Xiaofu secretly sat next to the young lady,
He said that his English is also good,
The sisters couldn't help but laugh.
A group photo after class, shy Ah Fu and his senior sister
Along the hiking route, you will find scenery everywhere. The paid scenic spots in Shili Gallery, such as Moon Mountain, Jinzi Rock, Butterfly Spring, Big Banyan Tree, etc., can be passed without entering. Among them, Jinziyan is a stalactite cave, which is not as famous or as large as Yinziyan in Lipu. If you want to see stalactites, you can go to Lipu. The cave is slippery and it is not recommended to bring furry children there.
The small group walked to Shui Edi Pier and boarded a bamboo raft to take the water route.
Riverside trail in Yangjia Village, Xingping Town
In Yangjia Village, where the hotel is located, there is a trail along the river. Not only can you watch the reflection of the yellow cloth and the Nine Horse Painting Mountain, but you can also walk along the river and feel the coolness of the river water.
RMB 20 viewing deck
A 30-minute walk away from the hotel, not far from Xingping Pier, is the best viewing spot with the 20 yuan background and the reflection of the yellow cloth.
Necessary props for 20 yuan background
Simply taking a picture of the background seems monotonous. Before departure, I made a special enlargement and photocopy of 20 yuan, just to use it as a prop for the fur doll. Interestingly, because of this lesson preparation, I discovered that all copiers have security controls that automatically block the color printing function of banknotes!
The viewing platform has been claimed by locals. That is, as long as you stand on the stage, someone will automatically shoot you. Of course, you can choose not to buy the photos. In order to clear the place for the masters to shoot, we actively requested the other party to take pictures and helped clear the place. We also quickly took out the props for the shooting. The photos taken will be uploaded to QQ space for downloading on the same day
West Street
No trace of the past can be found on West Street. It is as unfamiliar as a mixture of the Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street in the Magic City and the City God Temple. Go buy a cup of coffee, take a photo of the kids, and call it a visit.
The only purpose of coming here is to buy coffee
Youth hostel, a bit like living in a Macau alley
Xingping Ancient Town
So close is the farthest distance. Xingping Ancient Town is on the opposite bank of the hotel, facing each other from a distance. We pass it every day when we come in and out, but we didn't go in for a walk. Perhaps, because there are so many ancient towns in East China, children also yearn for green grasslands. In the end, only a quick snapshot of the ancient town’s early morning sunrise and sunset was left behind.
Alternative afternoon tea
This time I visited Shili Gallery with the tour guide "Gangzhu", and I was very surprised. After lunch, the "gang leader" took us to a hotel they cooperated with to have "afternoon tea with a view".
Hotel|Yuyuan Jingshe
The hotel has a view of Shili Gallery, but since we just had lunch, everyone ordered a few cups of tea and began to feel sleepy. At this time, Dong Xiaofu was extremely excited because this hotel had a large lawn that was closed on three sides! Therefore, the master had no choice but to act as the prey and let King Fu enjoy the fun of hunting...
Impression of Sanjie Liu
In the Impression series, Liu Sanjie is the first work that Gou Nu has seen, and it is also the one that she likes the most. The integration with the terrain, the completeness of the stage, the colors, the dance, the impression and the lighting are the most perfect. When you come to Yangshuo, it is recommended to watch one. In this event, furry children are not allowed to participate. The dog slaves voluntarily abstained and stayed at home, while their companions went to experience the artistic creations of Uncle Mou and Chao Ge.
The dishes in Yangshuo, Guilin are mainly home-cooked. They can be light or spicy, and are highly palatable. Among them, Guilin’s rice noodles, Lipu’s fish heads and Yangshuo’s beer fish are the most famous.
Mao baby looks at his mother
Mom looks at rice noodles
Beer fish is solved here. For beer-battered fish, Yangshuo is more famous for chain stores specializing in beer-battered fish such as Sister Xie, Sanjie Xie, Master Shifu, and Fisherman. Among them, the third sister and the fisherman are not allowed to bring pets. Sister Liu in Xingping Town allows pets, but does not accept reservations.
I found Xiaodong's private chef to prepare dinner that night and give my companions who were visiting Yangshuo for the first time a try. Personally, I feel that there is no obvious difference between the beer fish restaurants. As long as the fish is fresh, they are basically the same.
P.S. The proprietress and her daughter are very affectionate, so if you have a furry baby, you have to come to a restaurant like this.
The mixed Chinese and Thai menu is just a change of taste.
The decoration of the private room is quite simple and elegant, so there is no pressure to bring your furry baby to eat, and there is a minimum consumption. The food was a little too strong. I forgot to remind you not to add MSG. I was very thirsty after eating it.
The Big Banyan Tree Scenic Area is located in Shili Gallery. When you arrive outside the scenic area, you need to call the boss to pick you up. It is best to drive in directly.
What impressed me the most was eating my favorite taro and how to draw the taro! It's a pity that the drawing starch is a bit thick, otherwise it would be perfect. I drank a weird-tasting hand-brewed osmanthus malt beer and paired it with the equally weird stuffed green peppers. It was a negative and a positive. The taste was acceptable, but the boss opened a private room for us and our furry child, and air-conditioned it separately. The sincerity of this service was touching.
On the night when his companions went to see Liu Sanjie, the dog slave and his masters stayed at Xiyue Yunlu, watching the sunset together and enjoying a perfect dinner of wine and Guilin rice noodles. The stir-fried vegetables and scrambled eggs with tomatoes are salty and mild. The most important thing is that for the first time in a few days, I don’t feel thirsty after eating them.
Other pet-friendly restaurants (2018 information):
Yangshuo
WhiteCafe
Wangjianglou Restaurant and Bar
Eat at the Emperor Hotel (Jingfeng Road Store)
LibaideCoconut Milk Refreshing(Shili Gallery Store)
Pizza Chef (Garden Theme Restaurant)
Asian Restaurant(Music Restaurant Garden Store)
Eat and drink(Furong Road Main Store)
Sanjin Farm(Jiangjing Store)
Rosewood Restaurant
xingping
Ah Jin Old Restaurant
Liu Jie Beer Fish (Xingping Eighth Branch)
Guilin
Macau Restaurant (Xicheng Branch)
Zeng Sanjia Restaurant (Ximen Bridge Branch)
Xiangshan Guilin Rice Noodles Store (Binjiang Road Store)
This place avoids tourist attractions, but is located in the most beautiful section of the Li River. The owner of the hotel is a foreign Chinese architect from Shanghai. He has taken over half of Yangjia Village (about 10 households) and carried out a renovation project focusing on "retention and reform". Therefore, each house has multiple guest rooms, and the "Yunting" we booked is a stand-alone house with two bedrooms and one living room.
Since the hotel was renovated from half a village, it occupies a large area, and the layout is simple yet refined. It is the "high-end" rural style that dog slaves love most.
(Full score 5 points)
Service: 5; Hygiene: 5
Room equipment: 4 (The problem with modern design is that there are too few places to put things, and the design is not very reasonable. )
Catering: 5 (free afternoon tea provided)
Pet-friendly: 5 (You can go anywhere, and the restaurant can be entered when no one is around. The cleaning fee is a bit high, but the cleaning is done well, and the dog slave accepts it.)
Preserve the facade of the old house
A corner of the hotel
Drink coffee and watch the reflection of the yellow cloth on the roof
Backing swimming pool
Xingping is about 30 kilometers away from Yangshuo and takes about 40 minutes by car. For those of us traveling by car, it is just the right time to get away from the hustle and bustle and return to nature.
For other options, we recommend bed and breakfast hotels in the Shili Gallery Scenic Area.
iTravel – high-quality local tourism resources
Travel in Guangxi is subject to time and distance constraints, and all uncertainties must be eliminated before traveling. Chaibak adheres to the spirit of "putting fur babies first" and only goes where fur babies can go.
Dog Slave, who has been planning donkey tours for many years, discovered that there is an asymmetry in the information of several important destinations, one of which is Yulong River rafting. You can call the dock to inquire. There may be inconsistencies between the official answer and the actual situation (see the bamboo rafting experience in Wuyishan Travel Notes). Based on Chai You ’s experience a few years ago, we finally adopted a combined strategy: own plan + make good use of local resources. Aiyou Travel is one of the high-quality local resources used in this trip.
After searching around the stables, I had the best impression of iYou’s advertisement.
1. Forming an independent team is especially suitable for our team where people and wood are one.
2. "Take you to play with secret recipes" is not a tourist attraction check-in mode, but more youthful and leisure mode. Master Chai expressed his satisfaction.
3. A one-day trip to Yangshuo, including rafting, just met our needs.
After confirming the arrangement with customer service, a "gang leader" will be assigned to the guest.
Our gang leader – the cute and friendly “Gang Leader Ge”
After discussing with Gang Leader Ge, considering the special status of the four masters, electric donkey rides, hot air balloons and silver rocks will not be considered. In addition to helping us solve the biggest problem - taking the baby on the bamboo raft, everything was basically arranged according to our wishes. For lunch, we went to the restaurant that the dog slave had booked. In the afternoon, we went directly to the hotel that Aiyou cooperated with for afternoon tea and rest to prevent the owners from getting heatstroke.
08:30 We will be picked up at Xiyue Yunlu. Go to Yangshuo County to taste the authentic "Boss Erliang" Guilin rice noodles (you have to queue up!);
09:00 Arrive at Yulong River Ecological Park and start taking the guests on a stroll to Shuiedi Pier to start rafting on Yulong River bamboo rafts;
11:30 Go to the booked Ecological Garden Farm in Darongshu Scenic Area for dinner;
13:30 Arrive at the base of Yuyuan Jingshe and sit and have afternoon tea by the Yulong River. There is a large lawn enclosed on three sides for the children to run around;
15:00 Go to Zhuangyuan Trail for a relaxing mountain climb;
16:00 Head back to Xingping and pass by the wet market to buy Lipu taro!
After getting along for a day, Xiao Gang and Gang Leader Ge became very attached to each other. If we had not gone to see Sister Liu that day, the gang leader would have invited us to her home!
When they were about to break up, the gang leader once again demonstrated the importance of a local friend after learning about the gang's plan to head southwest via Guilin tomorrow. It turns out that the 2018 Guangxi Road Cycling Open and Tour of Guangxi Road Cycling World Tour preliminaries (Guilin station) will be held tomorrow, and the Yangshuo section will be closed after 08:15 until it is unblocked at noon. Fortunately, there was news about Gang Leader Ge, otherwise the day's schedule would have been disrupted.
In the end, the group unanimously agreed to set off early tomorrow, cancel the plan to stop in Guilin, and go straight to Chongzuo!
In the next section, the small group embarked on a trip to the China-Vietnam border, including running through uninhabited valleys, the most delicious rolled noodles, being refused entry outside the waterfall, losing their ID cards, and the filming location of Hua Qiangu, etc.
Useful TIPS:
1) A good helper for constipation
Among the Four Diamonds, An An, the second oldest, suffers from intermittent constipation every time he goes out. It can take as short as 2 days and as long as 4-5 days. Therefore, bring a hair removal cream for cats with you, which can help smooth bowel movements. Edible olive oil can also achieve the same effect.
2) Before departure, do your homework on the local pet hospital. In addition, bring pet milk, syringes and other supplies for simple detoxification purposes.
On the second day in Yangshuo, An An seemed to have eaten some plant leaves when the dog slave was not paying attention. That night, my head and lower body began to swell, indicating a sudden acute allergy.
After contacting a doctor in Shanghai via remote control, he suggested going to a local pet hospital for desensitization injections. Since his mental and other conditions were normal, the dog slave finally planned to observe him for one night. If he didn't recover, he would go straight to Nanning to see a doctor in the morning.
I remember what my mother often said, drink more water to flush out toxins. So, I kept filling An An with milk and water using a syringe (brought with me). It was convenient all night long, and finally miraculously returned to normal the next day.
3) About walkie-talkies
It is said that on some sections of the road, there will be no signal for mobile phones. In order to prevent the group from getting separated, walkie-talkies were prepared in advance (it only came in handy on Weizhou Island in the end!)
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