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| Guilin Lijiang River |
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A trip along the Li River is one of the high spots of a holiday in
China. From Guilin to Yangshuo, the river meanders its way through
52 miles of beautiful countryside, with bamboo forests, dense reed-
beds, and incredibly bizarre rock formations. Now and again, the visitor
will see a fishing boat glide by with two or more cormorants on board.
Many fishermen use these birds to help them find fish. The journey
will continue past Pierced Hill (Chuanshan), Clean Vase Hill (Jingpingshan),
Embroidery Hill (Xiushan), and--at about the halfway point--Picture
Hill (Huashan).
At the boat mooring in Yangshuo, there is an attractive arts and
crafts market. Green Lotus Peak (Bilian Feng) outside Yangshuo is
worth seeing. A few miles south of Yangshuo stands a mighty banyan
tree which is hundreds of years old. Two miles from the tree is
Moon Hill (Yueliangshan), the peak of which resembles a crescent-shaped
crater.
The crystal clear Li River is sandwiched between precipitous peaks
decorated with waterfalls. Among poems praising the beauty of the
river are these two lines: "He who travels in Guilin hills
finds himself in a fairyland" and "He who sails along
the Li River finds himself boating in a sweet dream." Along
the 83-kilometer riverbank from Guilin to Yangshuo are numerous
natural wonders, made more wonderful by their mirrored reflection
on the serene water of the river; they have inspired the saying,
"Guilin has the most beautiful scenery in China, and Yangshuo
is the most beautiful part of Guilin." |
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