Lijiang River Ride, China

From Wikiasiantravel

The dock in south of Liberation ridge in downtown Guilin usually serves as the starting point for the river trips. the trips can usually be divided into three parts or sections with each part having several sight seeing highlights which can be target destinations if one cannot stand riding on ferries for long or would not want to spend for the entire trip. Some may choose to ride from Xingping, a 45 minutes bus ride from Yangshou.

One will be amused by how much Chinese believe in tales and they have stories for each site, mostly the rock formations/hills that one will see along the way. Be sure to bring along a 20 Yuan bill and you will note it has been taken amongst the green hillsides of Li River and most importantly, a camera or recorder.

River Views

I. Guilin to Ox Gorge

Elephant- Trunk Hill - named as such because the shape resembles that of an elephant dipping it's trunk into the river for a drink. The hill is part of Elephant Trunk Hill Park where one may also get to visit a monastery, walk through and see some ancient inscriptions in the opening between the "trunk" and body which is called as Moon-over-Water Cave, or enjoy a stroll to the little islands. Entrance to the park usually costs 25 RMB and can be reached by bus 58, 57, and 2.

Rooster Fighting Hill or Doujishan Hill As the name implies, these are two hills shaped like roosters ready for the fight.

Pagoda Hill a 7-story pagoda predominantly sits atop the hill. It is a hexagonal Longevity Buddha Pagoda that dates back to the Ming Dynasty of 1368-1644. It also has other names like Lotus Leaf Hill or Warship Hill.

Forest of Odd shaped Peaks - Here varying heights of sword-like protrusion cluster together looking also like big bamboo shoots. There is a notable hole in the highest peak which looks like as if the moon is hanging in there.

Daxu Ancient Town - ancient, like a thousand years of civilization had existed in the land dating to Northern Song Dynasty of 960-1126 A.D. Several temples of the Qing dynasty, Longevity bridge, Seven Star Tombs(arranged alike the Big Dipper) are sights that draw attention.

Milestone Hill a hill which sets as a background to the ancient town of Daxu and adds to the picture perfect surrounding.

Ox Gorge - a valley between two cliffs where most of the surrounding mountains are shaped like animals such as lions, horses, tigers, and majority of course are shaped like oxen. Some nine stones are at the river bank and were thought as nine oxen playing in the water thus the named as such. Another part named Dragon Playing with Water is near a deep pool called Chenxiang Pool, where many dragon-like stalactites are suspended over it.

II. Ox Gorge to Water-Dropping Village

Wangfu

Yearning-For-Husband's-Return Rock

Crown Cave

Embroidery Hill

Half-Side Ferry

Yangdi Village

Wave-Stone View

Mural Hill

Yellow Cloth Shoal

Xingping Landscape

III. Water-Dropping Village to Yangshuo

Snail Hill

Green Lotus Peak (Bilian Peak)

Schoolboy Hill (Shutong Hill)

Snow Lion Ridge (Xueshi Ridge)

Others sights

This are some awesome places to visit along the way or route of Li River but have been separated as they are not sometimes included in some package tours during the river ride.

The Reed Flute Cave

Mountain of Splendid Hues

Lingqu Canal

Huashan-Lijiang National Foklore Park

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