A few years ago, I had come across a photo that induced a deep sense of curiosity. A fisherman and his cormorant resting on a bamboo raft, amidst the stillness of the Li River. This single image had immediately created a sense of longing, of wanting to know more.
The more I read about the legendary cormorant fishermen and the surrounding regions of Yangshuo and Xingping, I was convinced I had to visit this rural corner of China, far from the skyscraper forests of the big cities.
Nestled in South China’s Guangxi region, we land in Guilin – the gateway to the karst mountains, cascading rice terraces and home to several ethnic minorities. Unaware we have arrived during the hottest month of the year, we are greeted with the harsh noon sun. There are few foreigners and as soon as we leave the airport, I turn to my friend/translator, Beth, to guide us to our tea house. I am thankful that I don’t have to use the Baidu translation app on this trip.
For a country of its size and geographical diversity, it is simply impossible to list every single point of interest. We narrow down our list to the Longji Rice Terraces, Yangshuo and Xingping and set off early the next morning on one of the most fascinating trips I’ve had to date.
Five hours since we
left the bustling city of Guilin, I finally catch my first glimpse of the
complex web of emerald terraces cascading down the deep valley. Craning our
necks out of the window of the bus to Dàzhài, we are flung left and right as we
ascent the steep winding roads. Often promoted as one of the most beautiful
terraces in China, I’m left speechless at the extraordinary feat of human
engineering. The fusion of man and nature has created a majestic landscape. The
terraces cover a colossal area of over 25 square miles and date back to over
650 years ago, originally built in the Yuan Dynasty and completed in the early
Qing Dynasty.
Ping’an or Jinkeng?
The Longji Rice Terraces are situated in the Longsheng Country, 50 miles north of Guilin City and are split into two main sections: Ping’an Rice Terraces and Jinkeng Rice Terraces.
Ping’an Rice Terraces is a Zhuang minority inhabited area and is comprised of one large village (Ping’an) and two smaller villages and is the more developed of the two sections. Jinkeng is home to the Yao minority and comprised of Dazhai village, as well has five smaller villages, including TianTou village. Both are beautiful but I personally preferred staying in TianTou, which was further into the mountains and quieter, although harder to reach.
Where I stayed | Rice Fields Guesthouse ((水稻田头客栈 – in Chinese), TianTou, Dazhai Village.
How to get there | To get to Rice Fields Guesthouse, I took the direct bus for Dazhai Village from the HongKong Hotel (香江饭店 in Chinese), which is 5 minutes from Guilin train station (not Guilin North train station). Once we arrived at Dazhai Parking Lot, we were transferred to a smaller shuttle bus to Tiantouzhai Parking Lot, which takes a further 20-30 minutes. From the parking lot, Rice Fields Guesthouse was an 8 minute walk uphill.
Best time to visit | mirror-like rice terraces are best seen during mid-April to mid-June when the Yao people being to irrigate the fields. In summer, between mid-June to mid-September the fields are lush green and then turn golden yellow towards the end of September.
Where I stayed | Rice Fields Guesthouse ((水稻田头客栈 – in Chinese), TianTou, Dazhai Village.
How to get there | To get to Rice Fields Guesthouse, I took the direct bus for Dazhai Village from the HongKong Hotel (香江饭店 in Chinese), which is 5 minutes from Guilin train station (not Guilin North train station). Once we arrived at Dazhai Parking Lot, we were transferred to a smaller shuttle bus to Tiantouzhai Parking Lot, which takes a further 20-30 minutes. From the parking lot, Rice Fields Guesthouse was an 8 minute walk uphill.
Best time to visit | mirror-like rice terraces are best seen during mid-April to mid-June when the Yao people being to irrigate the fields. In summer, between mid-June to mid-September the fields are lush green and then turn golden yellow towards the end of September.
I had come to Longji to get a view into the lives of some of China’s most traditional tribes. One of the 55 recognised ethnic minorities in China, the Red Yao people reside in the mountainous terrain of the Longji Rice Terraces. Huang Luo, home of the Red Yao is one of thirteen Yao villages in Longji and is renowned as the world’s longest hair village.
The Red Yao women attach great importance to hair. A 2,000 year tradition, women only cut their hair once in their lives between the ages of 16 and 18, letting it grow to lengths over 2metres. The hair is kept to weave back into an elaborate coil on top of their head once they are married.
“When she marries, her hair is gifted to the groom,” our guide tell us. A marital status symbol, the way a woman wears her hair indicates whether she is married or not. Unmarried women cover their hair with a black embroidered scarf and in times past, if a man saw an unmarried woman with her hair down, he would be required to reside with the girl’s family as a son-in-law for 3 years. Married women coil their hair in a bun that sits majestically on top of their head.
“What is the secret to such jet-black luster?” I ask our guide. While each Yao household has its own family recipe, our guide explains the process involves fermented rice water, which is boiled in a pot and applied from the tip to the root using a wooden comb.
Reminiscent of an ancient tradition that has been taken over by tourism in recent years, cormorant fishing is a dying art. Sadly, unable to compete with modern fishing, the 1,300 year old tradition is no longer commercially practiced today. “There are only four traditional fishermen left to show people how they used to fish,” our guide tells us on our way to Xingping.
Our guide, Mr Gao, picks us up from our hotel at 3am and after a 45 minute drive we reach a secluded part of the Li River. Torch in hand, we scramble down the banks following a distant light across the river. A tradition that has been used in China for centuries, gas lamps are hung on the boat to lure fish for the trained cormorants to catch them.
As the sky turns a dusty pink, a handful of bamboo rafts turn to silhouettes. I catch my first glimpse of Mr Huang, a fifth generation cormorant fisherman who looks the part in a red embroidered shirt, straw coat and conical bamboo hat. Standing on his bamboo raft as it floats past us, Mr Huang strokes his white goatee and flashes us a heartful smile.
Distracted by my first encounter with Mr Huang, it takes me awhile to realise my surroundings – towering karst limestone mountain, its inverted reflections in the mirror-like water of the Li River and the morning fog gently hugging the mountain slopes – the epitome of a traditional Chinese painting.
Local photography guide | Mr Gao was our local photo tour guide; he is based in Guilin and runs workshops in Yangshuo, Longji Rice Terraces and Guilin. Customised photo tours can be booked via https://www.mercierzeng.com/ or http://www.topguilin.com/
Home to some of the most spectacular scenery in China and immortalised on the 20 renminbi note, Yangshuo’s otherworldly mountains and rivers should not be missed.
For the two days that we spent in Yangshuo, we stayed at the Yangshuo Mountain Retreat. An eco-lodge on the banks of the Yulong River, the retreat offers a slice of rural Chinese life. Nearby, is the starting point of the bamboo raft tour, which uses traditional boats in comparison to the motorised boats used along the Li River. While it did seem slightly touristy and we waited over an hour in line, it was well worth it. The Chinese version of punting in Cambridge, our raftsman grips both hands on a long pole and gently manoeuvres the bamboo raft along each twist and turn of the river.
But the most interesting sight in our wanderings through Yangshuo was Cuiping Hills. We are rewarded with an incredible view following a relatively easy 20 minute hike – a patchwork of rice fields, towering karst mountains in the backdrop and the river snaking around Cuiping Hills. And to my surprise, there are only two other travellers sharing this magnificant sunset with us. A far cry from our visit to Xianggong Hill, which commands equally jaw-dropping views but attracts alot more tourists.
An abandoned sugar mill transformed into one of the most unique hotels I’ve ever stayed at. Nestled amongst the karst mountains and fishing villages, Alila Yangshuo seamlessly blends the new with the old and offers a retreat of sublime craftsmanship and luxury.
Beijing based architects have transformed the 1960s Chinese mill into something quite exquisite. You are drawn into the architectural space from the moment you arrive – the perfect balance of bamboo and concrete. Probably the biggest surprise is saved for last, the old industrial truss that was previously used to load sugar cane onto boats has been converted to a spectacular outdoor pool. The first thing that grabs our attention are the steel columns that frame the pool, spaced equally apart, in signature Alila symmetrical style. In the evenings we retreat to the former pressing room, which is now a bar specialising in rum.
Needless to say I embraced the art of doing nothing and only have a handful of photos from my stay. When we weren’t lazing by the pool, we sampled the treatments and signature black sugar scrub, which is still produced in the region. Another feat of architectural brilliance is the subterranean spa, which is housed in the former molasses tank. The entrance to the spa is an unassuming stone hut, which has a spiral concrete staircase leading to the treatment rooms underground.
Our final part of the trip is in the rural village of Langshi – only accessible by boat from Yangdi Pier, no cars, one shop thats open for 2 hours during the day, population of 300 people and in a 200 year old house from the Qing dynasty.
Originally a fishing village, Langshi has its own language, which is unique and only spoken by the locals. We are met with Haibo, our host at Laojia and also the village doctor. He introduces us to Mao Shifu (which means Master/teacher Mao), who invites us to an evening boat ride – an unforgettable experience as we watch the stars and the silhouette of the mountains.
After devouring the fresh steamed buns and soy milk that was delivered to our house for breakfast, we meet Haibo’s mum. She asks us to call her Ayi (meaning aunty in Chinese) and has offered to be our guide to explore the trails to Xingping. An asbolutely memorable afternoon zigzagging along the Li River, picking wildflowers and hearing about Ayi’s life and the vast changes the villages have gone through since her childhood.
Where I stayed | Homestay Laojia, a 200 year old Qing Dynasty house built somewhere between 1800-1850.
Location | Langshi (浪石); 1.5-2 hour journey from Guilin/Yangshuo centre to Yangdi and then a short 5 minute boat ride to Langshi.
Experiences | walking/hiking the mountains; lesson with the village Calligraphy ‘master’ and Mao Shifu’s nighttime tea boat ride.