Yangshuo: Yulong River Rafting

Our final morning in Yangshuo, we awoke to dark, threatening skies. Determined not to let the weather curtail our fun, we boarded bamboo rafts and drifted along the Yulong River. While the scenery was similar to our trip on the Yi River, this time, the humming motor of the boat was replaced by the languid stokes of an oarsman.

Unfortunately, it began to rain shortly after we left the safely of the shore.

At first, our rafts continued down the river. But as the rain increased in intensity, even our oarsmen had to seek refuge under the umbrellas.

We floated silently, listening to the sound of the rain slapping against the water around us. Under the protection of our umbrella, we relaxed and enjoyed the calm, and beautiful scenes surrounding us. After a short while, we were granted a reprieve from the rain and our oarsman returned to his position at the helm of the boat.

A peaceful ride down the Yulong was the perfect finale to a relaxing few days spent in Yangshuo.

Yangshuo: Impression Sanjie Liu

After a day of rafting and biking, we decided to spend a relaxing evening at one of the world's largest outdoor water theaters. Located on the Li River, the amphitheater is situated only a short distance from downtown and uses the towering karst mountains as the backdrop.

The show, Impression Sanjie Liu, is a light show set to the music from a movie of the same name and produced by Yimou Zang, the director of the Beijing Olympic opening ceremony. There are apparently seven chapters to the show though I can't honestly say I was able to pick them out. 

The show focuses on the lives of the people living around the Li river displaying their culture, music and dress. A staggering 600 actors perform in this show, most of whom are local fisherman.

 

Like many of the shows I have seen in China, it was cheesy and silly at times, but overall enjoyable. My guests did not speak any Chinese and were still able to understand the general themes of the show. While certainly an activity you could skip in Yangshuo, it was a fun way to spend the evening, surrounded by beautiful mountains. 

Shanghai Shoe Shopping

I have massive feet, even by US standards. So shoe shopping in China, where small feet were once so coveted that women had their feet bound, is no easy task for me.

Enter Feiyue.

Feiyue, pronounced fey (like Tina!) yu-eh, is a shoe company founded in Shanghai in 1959. Shortly after, it became the choice shoe for shaolin monks and kung fu masters. The simple canvas shoes are known for being durable and feature a light padded sole.

I scored a pair two weeks ago at Culture Matters on Dongping Lu for 60 rmb (or $9.80 USD). I probably would have bought them just because they happened to be my size. Thankfully, I also actually liked them. They are the perfect shoe for the massive amount of walking and biking I do around this fine city.

And apparently Orlando Bloom owns a pair. Not that I recommend doing everything Orlando Bloom does. His facial hair is usually rather questionable. But you should be safe following his shoe choice.

image source

Yangshuo: Biking in Rural China

After a lazy morning spent floating down the Yi river, we decided to stretch our legs with a little mountain biking through rural China. Our guide Jack (who I would highly recommend) led us on a 10 mile ride through the countryside surrounding Yangshuo.

We sped past rice fields, freshly plowed by water buffalo and barefoot farmers, as well as karst mountains and beautiful views.

After exploring the area, we headed back to Yangshuo where we rewarded ourselves with a feast of Guilin noodles and local beer fish before witnessing the evening light show (more on that to come!).

Yangshuo: Li River Boating

After a morning spent hiking in Longji, we traveled south to the town of Yangshuo. It was just before dusk when we arrived but we still managed to sneak a few peeks at the towering mountains around us.

The views in Yangshuo are nothing short of breathtaking. Hundreds of limestone mountains dot the countryside, jutting sharply out of the landscape. Because of this, both foreigners and Chinese tourists flock to the area. Thankfully for us, we managed to visit prior to start of the busy season.

To best view the area, our guide arranged for us to boat down the Li river from Yangdi to Xingping old town.

The back of the 20 RMB note displays a painting of some of the karst mountains. Our boat guide happily pointed out the location of the drawing. So we posed with money. The only people that ever seem to pose with money are drug enforcement agents and gangsters. And now apparently us. 

While not as serene as floating down this river may have once been (our boat did have a motor after all), it was a rather relaxing way to view the awe inspiring landscape of Yangshuo.

Letting the cat out of the bag

Matt and I were riding our bikes home from brunch on Sunday when I saw this couple zoom past us. Thankfully my husband whipped out his phone and snapped this photo for proof. I doubt Snowball would be very enthusiastic about the dusty, Shanghai air blowing through her whiskers.

Guangxi: Longji Rice Terraces

In April, two of my college besties, The Blondes, came to visit. Within 24 hours of landing in Shanghai, we had boarded a plane and jetted off to Guilin, in the southern province of Guangxi. 

Two hours northwest of Guilin is nestled the beautiful town of Longji. We wandered through the quaint town which was only accessible by a lovely swaying bridge. Not a fan.

Along the way, we were greeted by women from the Yao minority population, famous for their long hair. The Yao women cut their hair only once during their lives at age 16 when beginning the search for their husband. Considered masters of handicrafts, they are also known for the wares they peddle throughout the village.

The only way to reach the top of the rice terraces is on foot. While the hiking isn't too strenuous, it does require that you carry your suitcase to the top if you are staying at one of the local hotels (we were not).  Or you could pay one of the local women to do it for you.

Once at the summit, we were surrounded by beauitful views of the rice terraces below, established over 700 years ago. The terraced fields were built along the slope winding from the riverside up to the mountain top, the highest part reaching 2,800 feet (or 880 meters).

After a few hours of hiking in the rice paddies, we sat down for a lunch of traditional local food. This included rice stuffed inside bamboo shoots and cooked over an open flame.

We also feasted on Guilin noodles, eggplant, and a little Chinese beer.

  

 

Our meal did not include roasted mountain rat which was apparently a local delicacy. My guests were more than happy to miss out on that experience.