Xingping Scenic Area — Attraction in Guilin

The sun sets over the mountaintops in Xingping Town, Yangshuo, Guilin, Guangxi, China in the accompanying photo below. Guilin and the Li River are famous for their beautiful landscapes. Visiting this area had long been on my to-do list. Before the trip, I selected a couple of locations at which to photograph sunrise and sunset, and Laozhai Mountain was one of them. On a clear afternoon, I hiked to the peak an hour before sunset on a trail built and maintained by a Japanese gentleman (all photographers visiting the area owe this man a significant debt of gratitude in the energy his meticulously maintained trail up the mountain saves them in expended energy). The view was overwhelming, with the Li River making an 180-degree turn right under my feet. I spent most of my time focusing on a wide-angle photo view until I realized that leaving the river out of the photo and simply zooming in on the peaks and setting sun made for a much better...

Amazing entry to China from Hong Kong. Make sure you plan your accommodation and travel before heading here, government relations change regularly and few speak English well. Otherwise it is amazing scenery, you will get to meet local and enjoy a bit of Chinese countryside. A river cruise is a great way to see the place but be aware that they can be...

We arrived from Yangshou by public transportation, in and of itself an experience. The town of Xingping is a gem, an ancient town that has been converted to lovely shops, bars and restaurants, The town is located on the river, walking through it and along the river are extremely pleasant. I highly recommend this small and...