Now that I have reached a dream destination of mine, what do I think about it. I must say that the dreamy beauty of Yangshuo and its surrounding areas are very real. The limestone mountains and winding rivers combine to give the wonderful Chinese painting feel. I have been to quite a bit of limestone/karst areas but I would have to say that Yangshuo is one of the prettiest I’ve seen.
Of course, this place will also have its downsides. Because of its popularity, Yangshuo has turned from a backpacker heaven to a tourist mecca. The famous West Street is now quite cosmopolitan in nature with bars and hotels lining both sides of the road and beyond. Where there is a crowd crime will follow. Having witnessed an attempted picking of someone’s pocket, I’ve learned quickly that Yangshuo is not as safe as it appears to be. Although, one will just need to keep their wits about them and they will be fine.
One thing going to Yangshuo is that the beauty of the place is over such as wide area that the tourist crowds are spread out. Xingping and Yangdi are towns outside of Yangshuo while the Big Banyan Tree and Moon Hill are a few minutes outside of the town. So despite the huge number of tourists going here, they are not in one place at one time.
Another thing I like about Yangshuo is that since it is cosmopolitan enough, modern conveniences are easily accessible. I took this opportunity to get my clothes washed at a laundromat. Another result of the cosmpolitan-ness is that food from all over China and the world is available here. So, for a foreigner who is sick of eating Chinese food, Yangshuo is a welcome break from all of this.
Yangshuo is a place everybody needs to visit at least once in their lifetime, I need to go back there just because the photos I took weren’t that good since the weather wasn’t cooperating. It is nice to visit any time of the year just make sure the it won’t rain.
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