Karst peaks along the Li River
The landscape around Guilin, with its green limestone pinnacles rising from rivers and rice paddies, is the image many people have of China from classical painting. The cruise or bamboo raft down the Li River from Guilin to Yangshuo passes the scene printed on the 20-yuan note. Yangshuo is the better base, with cycling along the Yulong River, rock climbing and cormorant fishermen at dusk. Further north, the Longji rice terraces climb steep hillsides around Zhuang and Yao villages.