4ever Discovering
Guilin: The Most Scenic Area of China
Get Lost in the Beauty of the Li River; Just Don’t Sink Your Bamboo Raft!
After a long day of travel from Hong Kong to China, Emily and I finally made it to our first destination: Guilin! We successfully made it into China with our visas (we knew we would), and checked into our hostel late that night. Luckily for us, we opted for the airport pick-up option, so there was a man with our names on a sign waiting for us at 2 am. Whatever option causes less stress for us, the better!
We were pretty shocked when we walked out of the airport and were hit with cold weather. There wasn’t any snow on the ground, but the temperature was around the freezing mark. Emily and I have been spoiled living in Taiwan for so long with the nice weather. We knew China was going to be a lot colder than what we are used to, but it was still a bit of shock to feel the cold air hit my face (especially when I was half asleep at 2 am). It definitely woke me up! Thankfully, the hostel had heating pads in all of the bunkbeds. They were like the ones you use on your stomach for when you are sick; except these ones were under the sheets in the bed. Genius idea.
Emily and I knew we were crunched for time on this trip, so we had to take advantage of every day we had in China. We got to sleep in a little bit, and booked a tour with the hostel for our first day. We had done our research beforehand and knew exactly what we wanted to do in each city. This tour was a day trip to the Li River, where we could take a bamboo raft and see the incredible landscape. This is probably the most popular thing to do if you visit Guilin, and boy was it ever worth it!
We started with an hour bus ride to the river, and had an English tour guide to give us the low-down for the day. I was surprised to hear that the tour did not bring us back to Guilin; we had to find our own form of transportation back to the city. Weird, right? However, if you opted to pay an extra $20, you could extend your tour and travel to Swallow Lake a.k.a. The Wonderland of China. With this option, the bus also brought you back to Guilin, so Emily and I decided to go for it. Not a bad price.
When we arrived at our starting point of the Li River, I was immediately taken aback by the beauty of my surroundings. There were little peaks of mountains everywhere, and the water was so calm in the river. All you could see was this amazing scene, and the little bamboo rafts floating down the river. It was absolutely picture perfect. The camera never does it justice either; no picture could show how beautiful this landscape was. Emily and I hopped onto a raft, and began our cruise down the Li River. It took about an hour to get from our starting point to our end point; it was an hour of natural beauty and tranquility. It was so silent, all you could do was admire your surroundings and be thankful for the opportunity to be here. Who would have thought this year I would end up travelling to China? I know I didn’t.
After an incredible ride down the river, we were able to explore the small town a little, then head to the tour bus. We had about an hour to walk around (the bus got stuck in traffic and was late), so Emily and I ventured around the little shops. Along the way, we saw the iconic spot where the picture from the 20 Yuan bill was taken. There was even a sign that told you exactly where to stand if you wanted to replicate the picture. We didn’t really know how much time we had at that point, so we played it safe and waited for the bus to come. Because we extended our tour, we didn’t really know when we were going to be eating next, so we sat in a little restaurant and tried to warm up a little. Eventually, the bus came and we were heading to Yangshuo. This is where you got dropped off if you didn’t off for the other tour. It is another beautiful area with lots of hiking. If we had more time on this trip, I’m sure Yangshuo would have made the list for a couple of nights!
On to our next stop: Swallow Lake. This is known as China’s Wonderland and I can definitely see why! It actually worked out in our favour that the bus was late because we got to take a ride around the lake at sunset. It was a similar view with the mountain peaks surrounding us; however, at sunset it looked like a whole other scene. Something about a beautiful sunset makes me feel connected to home; I always picture myself on the beach at grandma’s house, watching the sun drift away. It’s always reassuring to know that even from across the world, I am watching the same sun as my family is in Canada. It’s a very peaceful experience.
Our trip to Swallow Lake was very scenic; however, not very informative. The tour guide on the boat that took us around did not speak English, so we didn’t really learn anything about the area. As much as I wanted to learn about what I was seeing, I was also very content with just taking in the view and enjoying the boat ride. I felt like I was on a ride at Disneyworld, taking a slow cruise to different bridges and scenic areas. We saw different tribes performing their traditional song and dance, and floated through a cave to get to the end. They were breathtaking views, and the boat ride ended just as the sun was reaching the base of the mountains. It created a red glow along the river, and you could see the shadow of the peaks reflecting from the water. Incredible!
After the boat ride, we walked around the area and got to see some of the traditional outfits and jewelry worn by the local tribe. I even got a souvenir necklace for free by catching it out of a window! Overall, this place was full of tranquility and peace. I can see why it is called the Wonderland of China; it is almost like its own little haven within a bustling country. I am so glad we decided to do this part of the tour (and I didn’t mind the ride back to the city either).
Our first day in China was a success! It was nice to spend the day outside of the city, and explore more of the natural beauty of the country. Emily and I were ‘warned’ about some of the negative aspects of China, and I was pleasantly surprised to find we survived Day 1 without a scratch. Our trip down the Li River surpassed my expectations, and left me mesmerized by the beauty of my surroundings. It was a great start to the trip!
