Flowing rivers, mountains, and paddy fields of Guilin

The region around Guilin is arguably one of the most beautiful of all in this continent-sized country. It is centred around the Li River which snakes through lush green woodland, fertilising the patchwork paddy fields that lie beneath tall, stark karst mountains. For centuries artists, poets and painters have come to Li River for inspiration and to document the unrivalled natural beauty. The traditional form of Chinese ink painting that are so often seen on scrolls, old and new, are called shanshui – meaning mountain and water. For it is the tall mountains and flowing water that are the subject of traditional paintings and it is here along the Li River that has inspired the most famous of these artworks. This region is so famous for its beauty that it even features on China’s 20 RMB banknote. The Li River flows past the large city of Guilin and 90 kms later joins the Yulong River at the smaller town of Yangshuo. It is from here that many visitors base themselves for a few days. The Li River is very much the life blood of the region and boats large and small take guests along here. Most choose to take a slow trip following the current on a bamboo raft which are ubiquitous to the region. In evenings, fisherman sail out on small row boats or rafts and use their pet cormorant birds to help them find their catch. #境外遊 #awesomepic #passionpassport #bucketlistreboot #tripblazers