Yangshuo Brief

YANGSHUO

Yangshuo is located in Southwestern of China, Guangxi Zhuang Ethnic Autonomous Region. Guilin is the capital of Guangxi and Yangshuo a city on county level under Guilin Administration. From beginning Yangshuo was only a small county near both Li River and Yulong River.

Guilin has since years been famous for Li River, its dreamlike karst landscape and amazing nature. In fact, it should be Yangshuo’s honour, because it is in Yangshuo we have all those dreamlike karst landscape and beautiful nature. It is also in Yangshuo, we have so called little Li River, Yulong River.

CORMORANT FISHING

Cormorant fishing is a traditional way of life at Li River in the past. Today it is only a tourist attraction. Walking around the riverside in Yangshuo at sunrise or sunset time, it often provides the opportunity to see the fisherman gather to fish. Their birds perched on the bamboo rafts.

The cormorants are trained to dive into the river among the training of fish that live in the clear water. After catching a fish the birds return to the boat where the fisherman removes the fish from the bird. The bird is prevented from swallowing the fish by a ring that is placed around the neck of the bird.

KARST LANDSCAPE

South of China is a typical region of karst topography, where Guilin’s hills and caves, Yunnan’s Stone Forest, and Guizhou’s Xiaoqikong are all the best examples. The landscape in Halong Bay Vietnam is another good example for karst topography.

What is karst?
Karst is a landscape formed by the dissolution of soluble bedrocks (mainly carbonate rocks such as limestone, dolomite and gypsum), featuring sinkholes, caves and underground streams.

Karst topography is relatively fragile and unstable in geographic terms, yet it creates fabulous and unique landscapes around the world.

Why has Yangshuo so much karst landscape?
It is estimated that some hundred million years ago, the area where Guilin is located was a gulf. In the long years, the seabed was covered with thick calcareous sediments, which were slowly dissolving and shaped by the salty sea water at the same time.

Thus the original appearance of Guilin’s hills and caves had been formed. Later came the movements of the earth crust, and the seabed rose, cracked and gradually formed the landscape of Guilin.

After millions of years, with erosions of the wind, rain and rivers, the hills and caves developed into what we can see today, so fantastic and unbelievable.

 

Water buffalo and karst landscape in sunset, Li River, Yangshuo, Guangxi, China
Water buffalo and karst landscape in sunset at Li River, Xingping County, Yangshuo, Guangxi, China