Xingping, Yangshuo

Xingping, located by the Li River, is a time-honored ancient township. Dating back to the Three Kingdom Period, it boasts a long history of thousands of years.

Xingping is the oldest town in Yangshuo. It was set up in 265, Three Kingdoms(220-280 A. D. ), and used to be Xiping County. It was the center of Yangshuo County until Yangshuo Town was setup in 590. It has been the most important town beside the Li River for over 1700 years.

The scenery from Yangdi to Xingping is the most beautiful part of Li River. In 1974, after one of the Marshals of our country, Ye Jianying, visited Li River, he wrote a poem, which says "Xingping ranks first in Li River. "Here you can find the Site of Ancient Xiping, Nine-horse Mural Cliff, Yellow-cloth Reflection, Monk and Nun's Tryst, Ancient Stockaded Village's New Looks, Secluded Qianyuan, Ancient Wusheng Site, Fishing Village, Lotus-flower Cave, Flying-dragon Nunnery and others.

The peaks here rise like so many needles, while the rivers are like ribbons. The Tablet Hill, Five-Finger Hill seem to be floating on the water. Xingping River meanders from east to west into the Li River. The reflection of the trees, bamboos and peaks present a watercolor painting.

Downstream from Xingping are the Snail Hill, Carp Hill, Shuiluo Village and green mountains dotted with cottages, fields, trees and bamboo groves.

There are minibus service between Xinping - Yangshuo. Fare is 5, 50 Yuan one way. They are leaving when the driver thinks it's enough with passengers.

Highly recommend you to take a bike ride from Yangshuo to Xingping, stops at the mud brick homes of local farmers, pretty pictures of rice paddies and countryside life.

Or you might take public bus from Yangshuo Bus Station to Yangdi Village, and trekking along the bank of Li River to Xingping.

Lotus Cave
It is famous for the 108 calcium carbonate stone lotus basins. In the world there are only two countries that have this kind of unique landscape, 8 lotus basins in Yugoslavia and 108 in Xingping, China. The Chinese geologist, Sun Daguang, once visited here and wrote "the Wonder in the World. "

Fishing Village
It is the most famous village beside Li River. In 1921, Sun Yetsan, the president of the Republic of China, visited this fishing village when he went to Guilin from Wuzhou for the Northern Expedition (1926-1927 A. D. ). In 1998, when the former U. S. President Bill Clinton came to China, he could not tear himself away from this fishing village and stayed for one more hour.