Yangshuo, Guangxi Autonomous Region, about an hour from Guilin, is one of the most beautiful towns in China. We spent about a week there when we first came to China since that is where the Buckland Training Center is located. We’ve been there twice since. There are so many beautiful and interesting places to visit in China, but we lost our hearts in Yangshuo, so we love going back there.
Yangshuo is a great blend of old and new, East and West, country and comfort. It’s a small town with lots of expats, so many people speak English and there are lots of local and international restaurants. The countryside is gorgeous and there are lots of outdoor activities. The hostels are really affordable and are typically just outside of town in renovated village houses. If you haven’t been, I would highly recommend it.
The only problem with Yangshuo is that it is a bit out of the way. It was about a 14-hour train ride from both Changsha and Shenzhen, so we haven’t been back in a while. The last time we went, we took a train for 14 hours, stayed in Guilin for a night, and the next day took a riverboat down the Li River to Yangshuo. That was a lot of fun.
But as of December, there is now a fast train going directly from Shenzhen to Yangshuo, cutting the trip down to about 4 hours. After our America trip, we are hoping to be able to take some weekend trips to this beautiful town.
What about you? What are some of your favorite places in China to visit?