After a cruise along the Li River (on which we were more than disturbed by Chinese brats trying to shoot us with water guns) and a visit to Moon Hill (which was the best sight in the entire area because no tourist was ready to walk over 700 stairs up a mountain), Silver Cave was our next destination (not that we’re fans of caves but it was a rainy day so there wasn’t any other choice).

We could only guess what would expect us there … Anyway, not realizing how far the cave actually was away from the center of Yangshuo, we hired a tuk-tuk driver for 40 Yuan. At first he seemed happy to have customers on this rainy day (even though he didn’t appreciate our bargaining methods) but after about 20 minutes on the road, he didn’t seem all that excited any more … and neither were we because we started freezing our asses off! After another 10 minutes, I feared he would leave us standing on the side of the street. He could only hope for customers at the Silver Cave otherwise this trip wouldn’t be good for business.

After 40 minutes, the tuk-tuk driver turned left and big signs welcomed us … which was not a good sign because that meant Silver Cave was yet just another overrun tourist attraction. Now we had two choices: to run or to get ready for combat. We went for the last one … and after all, the cave itself is pretty impressive: The Silver Cave is the biggest cave in the entire Guilin area. Being of typical Karst landforms, it runs through 12 peaks and collects diverse stalactites that formed in different geologic ages. The main cave stretches for more than 10 km and inside the cave there are two layers, including the land part and the water part that is a crystal-clear subterranean river on which it’s allowed to take a boat trip (no we didn’t do that!).

After about 35 minutes of walking through the cave, I felt the need for fresh oxygen and we quickly made our way to the exit. What awaited us there was a walkway through souvenir shops – no short cut available believe us!

Inside Silver Cave in Yangshuo, China.

Inside Silver Cave in Yangshuo, China.

Inside Silver Cave in Yangshuo, China.

Inside Silver Cave in Yangshuo, China.

Inside Silver Cave in Yangshuo, China.

Inside Silver Cave in Yangshuo, China.

Inside Silver Cave in Yangshuo, China.

Inside Silver Cave in Yangshuo, China.

Getting to Dazhai village was easier than we expected because everything went pretty smoothly; we walked to the bus station in Yangshuo and the bus to Guilin was ready to leave. The drive took about two hours and was totally uncomplicated. We knew that we needed to switch bus stations in Guilin to get to Heping. As soon as the bus pulled into the station and we stepped out, a tuk tuk driver picked us up and immediately brought us to the right station. Five minutes later, we were on our way. After about 20 minutes on the road, the landscape started getting much nicer and cable lines (finally) thinned out. Just after I fell asleep, the Chinese ticket man started screaming that we were in Heping and we needed to get out. It was a rude wake-up call but it was all good after we were in the truck to Dazhai.

Arriving on Dazhai village was like being back in time. It was so peaceful and calm, with fresh air and a stunning view. Dazhai is framed by world famous rice terraces that rise up to 1.200 meters: The Dragon’s Backbone Rice Terraces of Longsheng County. I felt right at home since it was not that different from our little villages in the Alps. Anyway, these rice terraces are the most well-known in China and were mostly built during the Ming Dynasty, about 500 years ago but construction actually began in the Yuan Dynasty (over 700 years ago)!

After soaking up all the great energy, we booked ourselves into a nice little guest house in the centre of Dazhai, where we had an amazing room with a great view and friendly staff. It couldn’t get any better than this.

Dazhai village in Longsheng County, China.

After settling in and seeing the rice terraces around us, I started realizing that it would be a very long and steep way to get a clear view from above. And I was right about that. But before we get to the stories and photos of that, I’d like to share the map of the terraces around Dazhai, since there are a lot on the internet that are just confusing and … well, wrong:

Map of the rice terraces around Dazhai, China.

The three viewpoints around Dazhai are the best ones in the area. There is no need to visit Ping An or any other places (unless you really want to) because these three are the most stunning views you’ll find. Oh and by the way: Whoever said, that you could get lost when walking around the rice terraces alone must be a complete idiot! There is absolutely no way you can get lost (unless – as said – you’re an idiot); all ways somehow lead to Dazhai or Tiantou village. What can happen is that you take the wrong turn and just have to walk a couple of hours longer to get to your goal but that’s it. Always bring a bottle of water and you’ll be more than fine …

Viewpoint Nr. 3 “Buddha’s Peak”.

As Austrians, we know our way around mountains. Therefore, the three hour walk (you can do it in one hour as well but we wanted to explore the area a little bit) was like a piece of cake for us :) After what felt like about 5.000 steep steps, we got to the top and were more than impressed from the view.

The famous view of the Dragon’s Backbone Rice Terraces from viewpoint Nr. 3.

Dazhai village from viewpoint Nr. 3.

Longji Rice terraces viewpoint Nr. 3.

The view of Tiantou village from viewpoint Nr. 3.

Tiantou village in Longsheng County, China.

On the way up to viewpoint Nr. 3 of the Dragon’s Backbone Rice Terraces.

Unfortunately, the Chinese government is currently building a gigantic cable car from the parking lot to viewpoint Nr. 3 (which is the most famous one) and therefore, tourist crowds will soon overrun this place. This is definitely made for the fat and lazy … The station is supposed to be finished this October … from then on, it can only go downhill because mass tourism in China is … well, pretty massive.

Viewpoint Nr. 2 ” Thousand Layers to Heaven”.

On the second day, we decided to check out viewpoint Nr. 2 and Nr. 1. Getting to Nr. 2 is pretty easy because it’s the lowest ones out of the three. The walk takes 30 minutes and is not that steep. Still, you have a great view of the scenery and landscape around Dazhai.

Close up of the rice terraces in Longsheng county, China.

View of Dazhai from Viewpoint Nr. 2 “Thousand Layers to Heaven”.

Rice terraces from Viewpoint Nr. 2 in Longsheng County, China.

Viewpoint Nr. 1 ” Music for Paradise”.

Viewpoint Nr. 1 is the highest one around Dazhai. It’s peak is at 1.200 meters and it takes about three hours to get up there. Again, you can probably to it on 1 1/2 hours but where’s the fun in that?

Walking back down from viewpoint Nr. 1 “Music for Paradise”.

Rice Terraces from Viewpoint Nr. 1 ” Music for Paradise”

All in all, the Dragon’s Backbone Rice Terraces were absolutely stunning. They truly are the most impressive we’ve every seen and I’m pretty sure nothing can top that any time soon. One more good thing: I though that I was pretty fit before we visited Dazhai but after we left, my bum and thighs where more trained ;) All these steep steps have a positive effect on your figure. For those who don’t need (or better want) to get in shape, you can rent a palanquin with four strong Chinese men to carry you up to the top. You will surely get a lot of looks from the locals if you decide to go with this. Honestly, I thought it was the most ridiculous thing ever (unless your old or sick), especially because the ones sitting in those chairs are mostly overweight and uninterested in the scenery anyway. To each his own. We still prefer the old fashioned way of actually moving your ass :D

In the middle of the Dragon’s Backbone Rice Terraces.

Up at viewpoint Nr. 3 in Longshend County, China.

If you’re planning a trip here, be sure to read the following article because we will only give you authentic and honest feedback on our impression of Yangshuo. Forget Loney Planet on this. We built on the writer’s impressions and fell flat on our face! What’s up Lonely Planet? Where are the honest words we got in previous guides?

Anyway, our insight won’t be embellished but only true and straightforward. I wish I had read an article just as honest before planning this trip because my destination would have definitely altered.

First impressions count.

We arrived in Yangshuo at 1am with the sleeper bus from Guangzhou. The bus ride itself was pretty comfy. If you’re not overweight or claustrophobic, it’s a great way to get a good night sleep and travel at the same time. So arriving in Yangshuo with heavy rain and no lights near the bus station was not good for a nice first impression. Luckily we knew where we wanted to go: Explorer Hotel. I read the Lonely Planet travel guide before and it said, that Explorer Hotel it was a cute & quite mid-range hotel. So we beckoned the local tuk tuk driver over and were on our way. During the 10-minute ride there, we started realizing, that this town was not a sleepy little Chinese village as we expected … Turning into the street of Explorer Hotel, it was one bar to the next with bright neon lights and loud techno music – with binge drinking highly appreciated. Seriously?! The tuk tuk driver also pissed us off when he tried to rip us off but we couldn’t be bothered and gave him the 10 Yuan more. After all, it’s been one hell of a long day and it didn’t seem to get any better.

No fatties allowed in the sleeper bus from Guangzhou to Yangshuo.

After checking in, the reception lady said that our room was on the third floor … and there was no elevator. Great! Two 20kg bags (one in each hand) and up we were … only to realize, that the room was already taken by someone else. Now I started to get a little grumpy. Ulli was a bit calmer since she had been on a four-week trip through Bangladesh and therefore wouldn’t lose her temper easily. “So sorry Missy, please take room in first floor.” So we did. The room was clean with two large beds, A/C and a nice bathroom – at least this worked out, otherwise I would have needed the consultation of a Chinese Psychologist.

It can’t get any worse, can it?

The sky cleared up the next day. It was cloudy but at least the rain stopped. Still a bit edgy from what we saw last night, we wanted to give Yangshuo a second chance. It’s said that everyone deserves a second chance …  yeah … who in the world ever wrote that crap?! It was even worse than the night before. Imagine Rimini in Italy. Phuket in Thailand. Kuta in Indonesia. Or Downtown Siam Reap in Cambodia. Multiply this by 100 and you get Yangshuo in China.

West street in Yangshuo has a scary resemblance to Kao San Road in Bangkok …

I really started wondering on why I wanted to come here so badly and remembered the most amazing BBC Documentary “Wild China” where Guilin and Yangshuo were described as “the most beautiful spots in China”. Yeah sure, if you have the cash to fly in with a helicopter, shoot scenes from above or land in uninhabited placed. But reality looks very (very !) different: Huge highway roads. Tourist vendors along all the streets. Thousand of bamboo raft boats on the Li River. Bars and fast food places. Gigantic hotel building blocks. And of course, thousands of tourists. No sight of traditional China.

Even the fisherman with their cormorant birds were fake. Sure, they exist but they’re just another tourist attraction. These fishermen don’t make their money by selling the daily catch on the local market anymore. Much rather, they wait along the Li River for tourists to pass, who pay them to display their cormorant birds. By the way, the birds also look a bit pissed since no one lets them catch fish anymore…

A fisherman with his Cormorant waiting for customers.

I hope I was able to give you an insight on our impressions. Clearly you need to see a place yourself to fully understand the words but I think we did a good job filling in the blanks. Yangshuo once was a beautiful town worth a UNESCO World Heritage Site but obviously the development of the last 30 years didn’t make the area any better (in our opinion); the view of the karst mountain landscape is interrupted by signs, electric wires, (lots of) plastic rubbish and all sorts of tourist attractions. One thing is for sure … to get the picture perfect shot; you’d have to be a master at Photoshop.

Appearances can be deceiving.

All in all, the first day here had a few down sides but also a very nice up side: Moon Hill was fantastic. This place needs muscle and stamina to access so the crowds up there are thinning. Other than than, we also visited the Silver Cave, which was a nightmare as well before heading up North to the Dragon’s Backbone rice terraces – definitely the highlight of our trip!