Li River

Li River is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world today due to its natural beauty. It runs from west to east through Guilin city proper, Yangshuo, Pingle and Wuzhou, and then flows as tributary into the Xijiang River. The total length of the Li River is 437 kilometers and the most popular section is between Guilin and Yangshuo.

A trip along the Lijiang is one of the highlights of a holiday in China. From Guilin to Yangshuo, the river meanders through 83 kilometers of beautiful countryside, with bamboo forests, dense reed-beds and spectacular rock formations. The journey will continue past Pierced Hill (Chuanshan), Clean Vase Hill (Jingpingshan), Embroidery Hill (Xiushan), and--at about the halfway point--Picture Hill (Huashan). The crystal clear Li River is sand witched between precipitous peaks hung with waterfalls. Among poems praising the beauty of the river are these two lines: "He who travels in Guilin hills finds himself in a fairyland" and "He who sails along the Li River finds himself boating in a sweet dream."

The Fishermen on the Lijiang River are unique in the world. Fishermen on bamboorafts use strong lights suspended over the water to attract the fish. On their rafts sit several cormorants with their necks tied with ribbons. When a cormorant sees a fish in the water it will scoop it up, but because of the ribbon around its neck it is unable to swallow the fish. The fisherman waits until the bird returns to his raft and removes the fish from the birds beak before releasing the bird again.

It takes about three hours to visit this part of the river by boat. The best way to enjoy the river is to go up to the top deck to view the "long art gallery". The best season to visit is in March and October due to the temperate weather during these two months and ideal water level.