Mountains as Witness, Emerald Waters as Matchmaker: Our Guangxi-Guizhou Honeymoon Drifting Chronicle

Some say a honeymoon is the gentlest annotation of love. For ours, we didn't choose the white sands of the Maldives or fly to the romantic Eiffel Tower in Paris. Instead, we turned our gaze toward the mountains and waters of Southwest China — the Li River in Guilin, the Yulong River in Yangshuo, and the Huangguoshu Waterfall in Guiyang. This was a spontaneous trip, a journey of measuring love step by step.

Waiting for the Wind, or Chasing It

The story began quite suddenly. We were still wandering in Lijiang, Yunnan, sitting in a small bar in the ancient town, casually discussing where to go next. I threw out a few place names; she shook her head. She suggested some spots; I wasn't interested either. Until I casually said "Guilin." Her eyes lit up: "Great! Guilin it is!"

Just like that, two plane tickets from Lijiang to Guilin carried us into a story about landscapes.

Before departure, we made a small mistake — the temperature difference between day and night in Yunnan is huge, and we had only brought thin clothes. We were freezing in Lijiang. After checking Guilin's weather, we found it much warmer, so those clothes would finally come in handy. She complained to me for days: "I told you to bring warm clothes!" I could only smile apologetically: "But this way you can dress beautifully in Guilin, right?"

For our generation of post-90s, memories of Guilin mostly start from elementary school textbooks. The phrase "Guilin's landscape is the finest under heaven" has been etched in our minds for twenty years. As we grew older, our impression of Guilin expanded to include the image on the back of the 20-yuan note. This trip also meant checking off one of the RMB's scenic backdrops.

As for Guiyang, what we most wanted to see was naturally the Huangguoshu Waterfall — a place known to everyone across the nation. We chose Guiyang as our final stop not only because it's close to Guilin and convenient for travel, but also because we wanted to compare the landscapes of these two places.

Pre-Trip Preparation: Pack Light, Know Your Plan

Our luggage was simple: one suitcase and one backpack. The camera was a Canon 70D with two lenses: 18-135mm and a 50mm prime. To be honest, my photography skills are still at beginner level, but none of the photos from this trip were retouched — they capture every scene in its original, raw beauty.

8-Day Itinerary Overview

• Day 1: Direct flight from Lijiang to Guilin, stroll through Zhengyang Pedestrian Street
• Day 2: Guilin → Yangdi, Li River drifting (Yangdi to Xingping highlight section), night tour of West Street
• Day 3: Cycling along Ten-Mile Gallery and Yulong River, another walk through West Street
• Day 4: Yangshuo → Guilin, Elephant Trunk Hill Park, Two Rivers and Four Lakes
• Day 5: High-speed train to Guiyang, Qianling Mountain Park
• Day 6: Libo Small Seven Arch Bridge
• Day 7: Huangguoshu Waterfall
• Day 8: Aha Lake National Wetland Park, return trip

Accommodation Tips

• Guilin: We chose the "Fall in Love with Guilin" family apartment, mainly because it had a washing machine — after ten days in Yunnan, our clothes were dirty. There are many family apartments in Guilin, priced between 100-200 yuan. We stored our luggage there and went to Yangshuo light.
• Yangshuo: We stayed at the Blue Sky Garden Hotel near West Street. During the low season, a floor-to-ceiling window king room cost just over 100 yuan — unbelievably cheap.
• Guiyang: We stayed near the Huaguoyuan Shopping Center. One building can hold over a dozen hotels, with a very unique architectural style. For about 150 yuan, you can find a decent room.

Day 1: Flying into a Landscape Painting

Looking down at Guilin from the plane, mountains stretched endlessly — distant and near, tall and low, arranged in layers like brushstrokes in an ink wash painting.

We landed at 3 PM. From the airport to the city, there are shuttle buses on two routes: one to downtown Guilin (20 yuan) and one to Yangshuo (50 yuan). If we'd known earlier, we might have gone directly to Yangshuo and returned to Guilin afterward.

After checking in, we followed the map to Zhengyang Pedestrian Street. Passing by Elephant Trunk Hill Park, it was already past 5 PM and the park was closed for entry. On the way, we found a rice noodle shop — our first meal in Guilin had to be rice noodles. They were very spicy, very fragrant, and had us sweating.

The pedestrian street was buzzing with voices. We walked and ate the whole way: osmanthus flower cakes, grilled duck intestines, clay pot rice... She was happy eating, so I was relieved.

Day 2: Li River Drifting, Wandering Through a Painting

Drifting Tips: Choosing the Right Route Matters

There are several ways to tour the Li River. I organized three main options:

1. Li River Cruise: From Mopanshan Pier in Guilin to Longtoushan Pier in Yangshuo, 4 hours total. Most convenient but least flexible.
2. Guilin City Tour: Two Rivers and Four Lakes night or day cruise. Suitable for those with limited time.
3. Li River Drifting (Recommended): From Yangdi Pier to Nine Horses Fresco Hill, then take an electric cart to Xingping Ancient Town. About an hour total, no backtracking, and covers the most scenic section of the Li River.

The drifting schedule at Yangdi Pier has specific hours: open before 8:30 AM and after 12:00 PM, with a closure from 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM — this is to avoid collisions with upstream cruise ships. Each bamboo raft holds four people. If your group is smaller, you'll need to share with others or pay extra to charter the whole raft.

Morning at Yangdi Pier

We got up early, but made a mistake — the Guilin Bus Terminal doesn't have buses to Yangdi; you need to go to the South Passenger Station. After a detour to buy tickets, we'd already missed the first bus. We found a rice noodle shop near the South Station, and unexpectedly, it was amazing. The shop was tiny, but the line included everyone from students to office workers. They offered three portion sizes at 3, 4, and 5 yuan, with free add-ons and complimentary soy milk. Locals eat this for breakfast — totally different from our northern habit of porridge with pickled vegetables.

By the time we reached Yangdi Pier, we'd missed the 8:30 AM drifting window and had to wait until after noon. We wandered along the shore, but the scenery was so beautiful it made us forget the time — strange peaks, beautiful waters, misty haze, sparkling surface, like the mortal world had turned into a fairyland.

On the pier, many elderly women sold handmade flower crowns — one or two yuan, some five, all hand-woven and beautiful. She picked one and put it on, and with her smile, I couldn't help stealing a few more glances.

Poetry and Horizons on a Bamboo Raft

After noon, it was finally our turn on the bamboo raft. Sharing our raft was another couple, and as we chatted, we discovered they'd also come from Yunnan. Fate is truly a strange and wonderful thing.

Sitting on the bamboo raft, that old song echoed in my mind: "Little bamboo raft floats in the river, majestic green mountains pass on both sides." The peaks on both banks rolled endlessly — some shapes were clear, others required imagination: Frog Jumping into the River, Nine Horses Fresco Hill, Yellow Cloth Reflection... each scene was vivid.

"A boat travels on emerald waves, people wander through paintings." This poem fit perfectly here. A gentle breeze brushed our faces, she leaned on my shoulder, and at that moment, the whole world felt still.

The Scenery Behind the 20-Yuan Note

At Nine Horses Fresco Hill, we transferred to an electric cart to Xingping Ancient Town. A three-to-five-minute walk brought us to the viewing platform for the 20-yuan note backdrop. Although the water level was low during the off-season, the peaks still matched perfectly. Standing on the platform, looking into the distance, the scenery was breathtaking — no wonder it became the background for a banknote.

Crossing an ancient bridge, we entered Xingping Ancient Town. There weren't many people, which meant less hustle and more tranquility. The town was filled with blooming flowers, decorating every corner.

From the town's bus station, we took a bus to Yangshuo, then a 1-yuan city bus to West Street. After checking in, we headed straight to the Master Chef Gold Medal Beer Fish flagship restaurant — highly rated online. The beer fish was generous in portion and delicious, without the muddy taste of freshwater fish. The stir-fried Li River shrimp was perfectly seasoned. The most surprising dish was the mugwort leaf cake — fragrant, sticky, and more flavorful the more you chewed.

After a satisfying meal, we truly began exploring West Street. It was packed with people, much livelier than Zhengyang Pedestrian Street. Colorful lights adorned West Street, making it dazzling. We stumbled upon a Maokong Bookstore, and she insisted on browsing. What impressed me most were the five-star red flags hanging everywhere on West Street, giving visitors a strong sense of belonging.

Day 3: Cycling Ten-Mile Gallery, Slow Time by the Yulong River

We originally planned to rent an electric scooter early in the morning, but it started drizzling. By the time the rain stopped around 9 AM, we rushed to the rental shop — electric scooters in Yangshuo cost only 30 yuan per day, incredibly cheap.

Our cycling route: Starting from West Street → Ten-Mile Gallery → Moon Hill → Gongnong Bridge → Yulong River (passing Jima Pier, Jiuxian Pier) → Yulong Bridge → Baisha Town → West Street. If there was extra time, we could circle around Longtoushan Pier before returning.

After the rain, the Ten-Mile Gallery looked like a fairyland in the mist. We took photos at Gongnong Bridge, which is the endpoint for Yulong River drifting. On both sides of the Yulong River, ancient water wheels still turned, and the river water flowed over the dam, just shallow enough not to wet your shoes. Ducks stood on the dam, eating small fish and shrimp floating downstream.

When we reached Yulong Bridge, it was the end of our cycling route. This is also the starting point for Yulong River drifting — if you want to drift, you can ask someone to ride your scooter back to Gongnong Bridge.

Returning to West Street, we turned onto Binjiang Road and cycled all the way to Longtoushan Pier — the endpoint for Li River cruises. Along the way, we passed the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall and learned that in 1921, during his Northern Expedition, Sun Yat-sen had passed through Yangshuo and delivered an important speech.

For dinner, we chose Sister Xie's Beer Fish — right next to yesterday's Master Chef, these are the two most popular restaurants on West Street. We ordered beef tofu (silky smooth), Li River shrimp, river snails, and beer fish. Before all the dishes even arrived, we were almost full from the appetizers. We rested for a while before finishing everything, and the restaurant even gave us free salad.

That evening, we sat on the hotel's rooftop terrace, overlooking the entire West Street. She sat in a rocking chair, and I watched her, recalling every moment of our journey together.

Day 4: Elephant Trunk Hill Park, Memories from Textbooks

From Yangshuo back to Guilin, the bus ride took just over an hour. Back in Guilin, we went for those rice noodles again — they were just too good.

After checking in, we headed straight to Elephant Trunk Hill Park. As soon as we entered, a heavy downpour began. We huddled under one umbrella, looking for shelter. Half an hour later, the rain stopped, and the park looked brand new — leaves greener, flowers brighter.

Climbing up Elephant Trunk Hill, we could see all of Guilin spread out before us. After the rain, the view was exceptionally clear — green mountains and clear waters, exactly what we call "lucid waters and lush mountains." Coming down the other side, the view matched the illustration in our elementary school textbooks exactly — Elephant Trunk Hill really does look like an elephant.

The park was planted with many bauhinia flowers. A worker told us the flower colors indicate gender, but which color is male and which is female — I couldn't remember.

As we left the park, darkness fell, and the Sun and Moon Twin Pagodas shone brilliantly under the lights. The Sun Pagoda and Moon Pagoda complemented each other, creating a beautiful night scene. We walked hand in hand along the road back to the hotel, simply strolling together.

Day 5: Hello Guiyang, Hello White House

Our four days in Guilin were over. We had seen the most beautiful landscapes, experienced the culture, and created countless wonderful memories. Before we set out, we agreed: when traveling together, one protects, the other cares. This is the simplest form of love, and also the happiest.

By high-speed train to Guiyang, finding our hotel was a struggle — Guiyang has many pedestrian overpasses, and one building can hold over a dozen hotels, making even navigation unreliable. After checking in, a light rain began. There's a local saying: "The sky is never clear for three days, the ground is never flat for three feet." Arriving in Guiyang, we realized walking really does feel like climbing a mountain.

At Qianling Mountain Park, the peaks were lush with greenery. In the drizzling rain, flowers looked like scattered pearls, delicate and beautiful. The birds in the park were completely unafraid of people, moving freely right in front of us. There was also a zoo with tickets costing only 5 yuan — it's been called "the most conscientious zoo."

That night, we stayed near Huaguoyuan, with our hotel facing Guiyang's internet-famous building — a palace-like structure nicknamed "Guiyang's White House," dazzling under the night lights. This is the most bustling area of Guiyang, packed with people, traffic jammed from 5 PM to 9 PM every day.

In the End: Among Mountains and Waters, Meeting the Right Scenery and the Right Person

8 days, from Guilin to Guiyang, from the tenderness of the Li River to the grandeur of Huangguoshu Waterfall, from the pastoral landscapes of Yangshuo to the mountain city of Guiyang. Along this journey, we saw the most beautiful scenery, ate the most authentic local food, and experienced small mishaps — getting lost, caught in the rain, rushing for buses.

But the most precious thing was the person beside me. She leaned on my shoulder on the bamboo raft, watching Nine Horses Fresco Hill. She giggled with me under one umbrella in the rain. On the alleys of West Street, she asked me to make her look beautiful in photos — though I ended up capturing a "sense of loneliness," she still smiled and said, "Not bad."

Some say travel is the best test of love. Eight days together without a single quarrel, not one cross word. She was in charge of navigation, I was in charge of photos. She ordered the food, I paid the bill. Simple分工, but the most comfortable way of being together.

Mountains as witnesses, emerald waters as matchmakers. On this journey, we met the right scenery, and we met the right person.

Practical Tips Summary: - Guilin airport shuttle has two routes: city center and Yangshuo. Plan your itinerary in advance - Li River drifting is closed from 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM — avoid these hours - Rent an electric scooter in Yangshuo for 30 yuan/day; cycling Ten-Mile Gallery + Yulong River is the best route - For Guiyang accommodation, choose the Huaguoyuan area — convenient transportation and beautiful night views - Traveling in the low season means hotel prices are unbelievably cheap