Yulong River in Yangshuo County, Guilin

Yulong River in Yangshuo County, Guilin

Attractions Overview

The part of the river that stretches from Yulong Bridge in Baisha Town, to Gongnong Bridge near Big Banyan Tree along the Ten-Mile Gallery, is known as the Yulong River Scenic Area, and includes some spectacular scenic views along each river bank.

English Name: Yulong River in Yangshuo County, Guilin
Type: Guilin Scenic Area, Guilin famous spots & Guilin attractions
Best Time: All Year Around
Recommended Visiting Hours: 2-3 hours
Location: rises in Lingui County in Yangshuo

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Why is Yulong River So Special?

The Yulong River Scenic Area has many tourist attractions interspersed with cultural and historical ones. The languid river is surrounded by a primitive, but pure, natural landscape, combined with green bamboo forests and rolling hills. Visitors to the area will delight in the picturesque scenes of simple rural life: bamboo waterwheels irrigating the paddy fields; village girls hand washing clothes outside of their cottages with smoke curling upward from the chimneys; old men fishing in the river; flocks of ducks swimming in the pond. Idyllic scenes such as these will allow tourists to forget their problems and experience a sense of calm relaxation.

Where is Yulong River

Yulong River, also called Little Li River, rises in Lingui County in Yangshuo. The river is about 43 kilometers (26 miles) long, with a drainage area of approximately 158 square kilometers (39,043 acres).

History of Yulong River

Yulong River has a long history on a site; this site is Guiyi county site. According to the Yangshuo County Annals, in Tang dynasty Wude forth years (AD 621), Guiyi County was set from Yangshuo County. And in Zhenguan period the first year (AD 627) Guiyi County was repealed and merged into Yangshuo County.

Guiyi site now covers an area of about 40000 square meters, in the Tang dynasty can be called a big county town. Today, of course, any one of the villages and towns are much larger than it. Now the whole county site, only remained the northwest corner of the old well and the two families. On the edge of columns of that ancient well, there was engraved with 2 characters in Chinese “Xun Jiu” (means Finding Old) but today’s Yulong River is brand new.

Main Attraction of Yulong River

The three most famous ancient bridges in Guangxi are Yulong Bridge, Xianggui Bridge and Fuliang Bridge, all of which are located in Yulong River Scenic Area. Jiuxian Village, known as the “General’s Office”, is located on the Yulong River. The ruins of Guiyi County in Tang Dynasty, Panzhuang Village, Xu Beihong’s studio and the ancient houses in Ming and Qing Dynasties remind people of the past. However, the most exciting and romantic thing is rafting on the Yulong River.

Yulong Bridge

There is a stone arch bridge on the Yulong River, which is located beside Longcun Village, Baisha Town. Built in the Ming Dynasty, the bridge is 60 meters long, 5 meters wide and 9 meters high. It is built entirely of stone and unused mortar. It will remain intact for hundreds of years and is a key cultural relic in Yangshuo County. The bridge is spectacular. Ivy leaves are covered on both sides of the bridge. It is antique. The villagers under the bridge came here to fetch water and wash clothes on their behalf. Yulong Bridge witnessed the world of this era and it is still strong.

Xiangui Bridge

Stone arch bridge, a tributary of Yulong River, is the oldest bridge in Guangxi. The bridge is 2.2 meters high, 26 meters long and 4 meters wide. Built in the Song Dynasty in He Xue for five years (1123 A.D.), the bridge has a unique structure and adopts a rare parallel brick method. The stone arch is made of 9 sets of key stones and 281 stones are arranged in parallel. After 800 years of wind and rain erosion and floods, the bridge is still intact.

Fuli Bridge

There is a single arch stone structure 500 meters upstream of Yulong Bridge. Its deck, railings and stairs are all grey stone, which was built in Yongle Period of Ming Dynasty. This bridge is 30 meters long, 5 meters wide and 10 meters high. It is one of the three ancient bridges in Yangshuo. There is an ancient tree in the bridgehead. Seen from a distance, the arch of the bridge is reflected in the water and connected with the reflection, like a full moon.

Best Time to Travel Yulong River

The best travel time is April to October.

Guilin has a relatively low latitude. Belongs to the subtropical humid monsoon climate. Generally speaking, Guilin has a mild climate with distinct seasons and excellent climatic conditions. The annual average temperature is 19.3℃, which is said to be “less snow in three winters and flowers in four seasons”. When traveling to Guilin, the best season is from April to October each year, during which there will be two golden weeks of “may day” and “November”, which is also the peak period of tourism. Guilin with suitable climate will have many tourists, room reservation and transportation will also enter a climax, and the price will rise compared with usual. therefore, it is better to avoid this time and choose an off-season to travel and appreciate the beauty of the world.

How To Get  There

 The Yulong River scenic area has been under traffic control between 07:00 and 19:00 every day since September 15, 2017. Visitors can only enter the area by foot, bicycle, or special tour bus.

  • Take the bus (Yangshuo – Guilin), getting off at Baisha Town, and then walk to Yulong Bridge.
  • Rent a bicycle at the West Street in Yangshuo and ride along the river bank upstream to Yulong Bridge. It takes about 20-30 minutes.
  •  Take the special tour bus to enjoy the river and the bus fare is CNY 60. It can be taken unlimited times a day.

Useful Travel Tips

It costs CNY 240 (per bamboo raft) by drifting along the Yulong River (from Jinlong Bridge to Gongnong Bridge).

Nearby Attractions

Recommended Guilin Tour Packages

Edited by Doreen/张洋