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Yangshuo Village Culture Tours
The list of villages below offers a way to experience rural
China, offering an authentic view of local village life. We
also recommend you make a note of market
days listed below.
Yangdi
Yangdi is a tina ancient village on the Li River between Guilin
and Yangshuo. You'll need over an hour to get there by bus.
Yangdi is worth seeing by itself, but is also the starting point
of a breathtaking hike to the town of Xingping.
Xingping
 Xingping
is an historic town on the Li River which you can see in about
an hour. There are many buildings in Xingping that date back
to the Qing and Ming dynasties. On market days the town burgeons
with locals from surrounding villages who set up stands to sell
all kinds of agricultural products. The scenery around Xingping
is spectacular and you can take a stroll out of town on a nice
path which crosses a a branch of the Li River and takes you
onto a local road that follows the river. After about a 45 minute
walk you will arrive at the spot where you can view the same
vista that is printed on a the back of the 20 yuan note. If
you continue along this path you will come to the tiny village
Langshi. There are boats nearby to bring you to Yangdi or Xing
Ping, where you can take a bus back to Yangshuo.
Jiuxing
Jiuxian is situated near the Yu Long River but is still a
quiet and not widely visited village as it is not on the main
Yangshuo to Moon Hill bike tour. It is located on the Yangshuo
to Yulong bridge route and makes a nice photo stop along the
way.
Chao Long
 This
town consists of three villages: Yi Ma, Chao Yang and Chao
Long. They are on the newly paved road between the Yangshuo
Mountain Retreat and the Yu Long Bridge. The houses are
made of mud bricks and village life has remained nearly unchanged
for the past 500 years. Though a short distance from Yangshuo,
these tiny hamlets are like a time capsule. This area can
be reached easily by bike or walk from the Mountain Retreat.
You can also combine the tour with a course at the Pam's
cooking school or a bamboo raft ride on the river.
Mushan
This village lies at the foot of Snow-Lion Hill in the town
of Fuli. Its official Chinese name is Mushan, although in the
local dialect it is called Bagua. Fuli Town is more than 1000
years old and has become a popular place to buy hand painted
paper fans which are a local specialty handicraft. As in many
other places around Yangshuo County, Fuli and Mushan are bordered
by amazing limestone towers (karst) and the tranquil Li River.
The Fishing Village (Yucun)
High above the eastern bank of the Li River just south of
Xingping, this ancient fishing village was founded during the
Ming Dynasty in 1506. The main appeal of Yucun are the 48 well
preserved traditional courtyards with their gables, towers and
unique architectural features. Surrounded by mountains, the
fishing village is only accessible by walking along a narrow
path from Xingping or by river boat. Bill Clinton stopped over
here in 1998 as part of his China tour. He expressed his admiration
of the beautiful architectural features of the village. The
fishing techniques of Yucun fishermen are very special as they
use bamboo rafts and cormorant birds to catch their fish.
Market days
Yangshuo & Xingping: 3rd, 6th, 9th, 13th, 16th, 19th,
23rd, 26th and 29th of the month
Fuli: 2nd, 5th, 8th, 12th, 15th, 18th, 22nd, 25th & 28th
of the month
Baisha: 1st, 4th, 7th, 11th, 14th, 17th, 21st, 24th & 27th
of the month
Local Produce:
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- Pomeloes:
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First introduced
to the area around three hundred years ago at the end
of the Ming Dynasty, this widely grown fruit is slightly
larger than a western grapefruit. It also peels very easily
and is much sweeter than a grapefruit. While they become
ripe in October, try to choose an old tree for the very
best tasting examples. |
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- Mandarin Oranges:
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A local variety,
favored in and around Baisha town, look for glowing colors
and shiny rinds, especially when they come into season
in November. They are about 1/2 the size of navel oranges |
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- Horse Chestnuts:
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Anybody visiting
Jin Bao Town during October is in for a very special surprise.
Try them fresh, roasted in charcoal or perhaps stuffed
into a succulent duck breast. |
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- Persimmon:
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Westerners might
find this fruit sickly sweet if eaten fresh. Alternatively
wait until winter when your can try the pressed, sun-dried
version which is much tastier. Also popular in traditional
Chinese medicine as a natural cure for indigestion. |
Local Crafts & Souvenirs:
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- Fans:
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Hand-painted,
decorative fans are one of the most popular souvenirs
to take home, The best place to find them is Fan Street
in Fuli, where many local artisans specialize in this
traditional art. |
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- Chinese Landscape Painting:
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Yangshuo has
always attracted painters and a very definitive style
has evolved over the years. Beautiful watercolor scrolls
are available nearly everywhere in Yangshuo Town. |
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- Embroidered Decorative Balls:
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Widely popular
in Japan where they are known as Temari, these delicate
balls of thread actually originated in China. Sometimes
made for ornamentation, the Zhuang people like to use
them as love tokens |
For more great pictures of local
villages go to
http://www.flickr.com/photos/yangshuomountainretreat/sets/72157603685475420/
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