Southern China Travel Bucket List

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I changed my plans in China and didn’t get to see anything on my list except for the karst mountains. But, here’s what I found out from my research on travel plans.

Of course, all of this information is subject to change, so please do your own research as well before you travel.

Also, I have been told there may not be much help for you in English if you venture alone. Therefore, I put links from Viator and Klook tours for you to consider.

Destinations in Guangxi 广西

Yangshuo & Guilin 阳朔 & 桂林

In Guangxi, the city of Yangshuo is wonderful and picturesque. Many people from all over the world go there to vacation to see beautiful sights and eat delicious food. It would be a great place to center yourself, but Guilin (about an hour away) is also practical, because of the airport. Either way, I suggest a visit to Yangshuo!

If arriving on a late flight, taking a taxi to get to Yangshuo from the Guilin airport may be more expensive than the other options, but may also be more convenient.

You can also cruise on the Li River to arrive in Yangshuo from Guilin, take a bus, take a high speed train, or many tours will pick you up at the airport. Here are some options available through Kl o ok to travel from Guilin to Yangshuo.

Cuiping Hill

翠屏山

A tour would have been ideal to see the things in Yangshuo and Guilin, because there are so many and you can see a lot in one day. Many will take you to the top of Cuiping Hill (also called Wuzhi Hill) to see the beautiful views over the village. Cuiping Village is located in Putao Town 葡萄镇 about 27 km from Yangshuo. It is said the best time to visit is at sunset because of the position of the sun going down over the mountains. It is not the same as at sunrise.

They say you can take a bus between Guilin or Yangshuo, and ask the driver to stop at Putao Town, then get a taxi to take you to the hill. You can rent a bike in Yangshuo and take the backroads to Cuiping Hill, but it’s better to go with someone who knows the area.

There are tours through Viator here.

West Street

West street in Yangshuo is full of shops, restaurants, and entertainment. The atmosphere is quite festive.

One popular food you can find on West Street is the steamed bun! (Very much a comfort food for me). These buns are stuffed with many different types of goodies, whether you want a meat filling or a sweet dessert filling, let the vendor know what you are craving.

To reach Yangshuo High-speed Rail Passenger Station (Bus station) 阳朔高铁汽车客运站 for traveling to other places outside of Yangshuo, take local buses 603, 604, or 802 from West Street. Confirm with hotel or locals before the trip to avoid confusion.

Longji Rice Terraces & Ping’an Village

龙脊梯田 & 平安寨

Longji is quite an attraction and home to the Zhuang and Yao minority villages.

Here’s two options to reach Longji. Take a bus from Yangshuo Bus Station to Jinkeng Dazhai (金坑大寨) Parking Lot or take a bus from Yangshuo to Guilin and then head to Longji. Jinkeng Dazhai (金坑大寨) Parking Lot is the starting point of the sightseeing cable car.

Although going by yourself is bound to be cheaper, a tour is bound to be more relaxing and probably enjoyable. Plus, some tours are overnight, so you can spend more time there. Check out this tour to Longji by Klook.

The Jinkeng terraces are home to the Red Yao People, and the Ping’an is home to the Zhuang. A third section of the terraces is called the Longji Old Zhuang Rice Terraces. If you stay the night, there may be an opportunity for some amazing photographs in the morning. A popular food around the terraces is rice cooked within a bamboo.

Destinations in Guizhou 贵州

Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village 西江千户苗寨

Xijiang is a popular Miao village. Although some say that it is more touristed than other villages, the atmosphere is still festive. The real problem noted on some days, is the crowd.

There are traditional shows in the arena, as well as silver jewelry and colorful embroidery being made there.

To get to Xijiang:

Take a train from Yangshuo to Guiyang – as of the writing of this post, there are two railway stations in Guiyang: Guiyang North 贵阳北 and Guiyang East 贵阳东 . (This was super confusing to me when looking at tickets), but both of them have trains which travel to Kaili. (I have read that Guiyang North has more high speed trains). You can look at train schedules here: www.trip.com
From Kaili – Like Guiyang, Kaili has two railway stations: Kaili Railway Station 凯里火车站 and Kaili South Railway Station 凯里南站. (Kaili South is the high speed rail station). To take a bus from Kaili Railway Station, it is said to take bus number 1 to get to Kaili Bus Station 凯里客车站. From Kaili South Station, take bus number 21 to get to Kaili Bus Station. From Kaili Bus Station, there should be a bus directly to Xijiang. Please check the times with the bus station to make sure.

Taking a taxi is also a good option.

When you get to Xijiang by bus, you will arrive at the North Gate. There is a ticket booth, where you must buy an entrance ticket and also a shuttle bus ticket.

Several busses leave Xijiang to go back to Kaili. Check with the bus station in Kaili, or the staff at the entrance booth for times.

Langde Miao Village

郎德苗村

Langde is said to be a more authentic Miao village. Staying overnight in a Miao home is quite a unique experience, and it is possible to do so in Langde.

There is a bus from Kaili Bus Station that goes there directly and often. In fact, the bus station in Kaili has busses to most Miao villages so you can visit the one which interests you the most!
For Langde it was also suggested to me to take a train directly from Yangshuo to Conjiang instead, then hire a driver from Conjiang to Langde, or take a bus.

Most suggest to go through Congjiang to get to Zhaoxing, but Kaili has transportation to Zhaoxing also.
To get back: I have read there are two direct buses a day from Zhaoxing to Congjiang, and the ride is about 2 hours. Maybe check the times before going.

Zhaoxing Dong Ethnic Village

肇兴镇

Zhaoxing, a Dong minority village, is exquisite and offers festivals and scenic hiking. It also attracts fewer tourists compared to other popular villages.

Zhenyuan Ancient Town

镇远

Zhenyuan Ancient Town does not have an entrance fee, however, you can pay to see Qinglong Cave and a ride on the Wuyang River. Photographs of Zhenyuan are fascinating, especially at night with the lights on the river. Zhenyuan has amazing natural scenery. It also seems to be a little more secluded than other places in the area.

The nice thing is there seems to be a direct route from Guiyang to Zhenyuan by train. However, you can also take a train from Kaili. From the train station, you can reach Zhenyuan by taxi.

Happy Traveling!