Colette's Grand Detour

After arriving in Yangshuo via a cruise down the Li River, I had the rest of today and tomorrow morning to experience the best this small town, south of Guilin, has to offer. The selection of activities to pick from was extensive and I knew I wouldn’t be able to do everything. So I opted for a scenic drive along Ten-Mile Gallery, bamboo rafting along the quiet Yulong River, sunset at Moon Hill, the spectacular open-air performance on the Li River called ‘Impressions’ and finally a Chinese scenic painting class in the morning. My guide did a terrific job of timing everything to perfection.

The location of Yangshuo, a town spread in amongst the the limestone peaks of the region is pretty special. The roads of the town weave around these gigantic structures as if they are nature’s skyscrapers and each part of town provides a different view. Yangshuo has been settled for over 1400 years, originally by the Zhuang and Yao ethnic groups. The town was officially founded during the Tang dynasty and for centuries was a modest market town on the Li River trade route. The karst peaks drew the attention of poets and painters from the Tang and Song dynasties, who celebrated its scenery in classical verse and ink paintings. In the 80s and 90s Yangshuo became one of the first places in inland China to open up to international tourists thanks to its scenery and laid-back vibe. Today, it blends modern tourism with rural charm.

We headed to Yulong River via the Ten-Mile Gallery, a ten km stretch of scenic road running from Yanshuo to Moon Hill along the river valley. It is named this because every bend of the road reveals a new landscape and it is said to resemble a painted scroll, with karst peaks, bamboo forests, rice fields and small villages revealing themselves.

Bamboo rafting along the Yulong River is both one of the most peaceful and fun things I did during my time in Yangshuo. The bamboo rafts are guided by a raftsman using a long pole and you meander along the river for about 35 minutes. The water is almost completely still and you get excellent views of the fantastic scenery. What was unexpected was that to travel along the river you must pass down 4 small dams. Each time the bamboo raft is steered towards a set of rollers that allow the raftsman to carefully drop the raft down to the next level. The front of the raft dips heavily into the water and water sprays everywhere. It is impossible not to get wet, even if you lift you feet. Initially I was worried about falling off the raft and held on for dear life. By the 3rd, I was prepared to attempt a video as we dropped off the edge of one level into the next. And by the 4th dam I wondered just how many more there would be. Thankfully there were only 4, with the last dam set up with a photographer who could catch your hilarious reactions to sliding down the rollers and then a nice photo smiling at the camera. It was a great experience and one I would recommend including in any itinerary.

The sunset that evening was epic as we stood enjoying the view at Moon Hill Cave. The sky looked like it was on fire. One of the best sunsets I have seen this year.

The next morning I headed to West Street for a Chinese brush painting class with a professional artist. Chinese artists describe Yangshuo as ‘to wander inside a landscape painting’ or ‘a natural scroll painting’ and the karst peaks, river reflections, mist and atmosphere of the area mirror those seen in classical Chinese art. I thought this was a great place to take a class and try my hand at this style of ‘shan shui’ or ‘mountain and water’ landscape style of Chinese painting.

After a quick introduction to the brushes, inkstone and rice paper we got going.. My teacher, who had been painting since he was taught by his father and grandfather when he was a young boy, explained some of the guiding principles around the painting style, particularly regarding balance and empty space. Black ink should be used in multiple densities to express distance and provide depth to the painting. And unpainted space representing mist or water invited the imagination. I spent 90 minutes slowly adding layers to the painting and learning how to make the mountains come alive and not just appear as flat objects. It was incredibly difficult, even just working out how much water or ink was needed to get a desired effect or thickness of line. But also incredible enjoyable and satisfying. I was happy with my final picture, considering I don’t paint very often and certainly not in this style. Like all the other arts and crafts I have tried this year it also made me appreciate how skillful this art form is.

And so my time in Yangshuo was up and we were headed to Longji Rice Terraces for my final stop in over 2 months of travelling in China this year. Yangshuo is a must visit destination in China and I recommend spending at least 2 days here to enjoy everything it has to offer.