The Li River flows south from the Mao'er Shan mountains of north-eastern Guangxi through Guilin to Yangshuo, winding between hundreds of steep limestone towers — the landscape of Chinese ink painting. The Guilin karst along the river has been part of the South China Karst World Heritage site since 2014.
- UNESCO World Heritage (natural), part of South China Karst · 2014
- National scenic area (Guilin Li River) · 1982
Key facts
- Source
- Mao'er Shan, Xing'an county
- Classic stretch
- Guilin to Yangshuo, about 80 km
- UNESCO World Heritage
- 2014, part of South China Karst[1]
- River system
- Gui river → West river → Pearl River
- Location
- Guilin, Guangxi
Overview
The Li rises on Mao'er Shan, the highest mountain in Guangxi, and flows past Guilin before turning south into a belt of tower karst. The stretch between Guilin and Yangshuo, about 80 kilometres of river, is one of the most celebrated landscapes in China: green water, bamboo-lined banks, water buffalo in the shallows and ranks of limestone peaks on both sides, their shapes named after animals, people and objects.
Below Yangshuo the Li continues to Pingle, where it joins other rivers to become the Gui, a tributary of the West river and so of the Pearl River system. In the north, near its source, the Lingqu canal of the Qin dynasty links its headwaters with the Xiang river, joining the Yangtze and Pearl river basins.
How the landscape formed
Guilin is the classic example of fenglin, or tower karst: isolated limestone peaks rising from a flat alluvial plain, alongside fengcong, clusters of peaks joined at the base. The limestones were laid down in shallow seas in the Devonian and Carboniferous periods, then uplifted. In a hot, wet climate, rainwater charged with carbon dioxide dissolved the rock along joints, lowering the land between them and leaving steep-sided towers, riddled with caves, standing above the plain. The Li itself has cut its course through this karst, and many caves along it once carried water at levels higher than today.
Highlights
Elephant Trunk Hill
象鼻山
A limestone hill in Guilin whose arch over the water resembles an elephant drinking, the emblem of the city.
Crown Cave
冠岩
A large river cave beside the Li south of Guilin, with an underground stream.
Nine Horses Fresco Hill
九马画山
A cliff whose streaked face is said to show nine horses; tradition holds that whoever can pick out all nine is exceptionally gifted.
Xingping
兴坪
An old river town and the most famous viewpoint on the Li, whose scene of the river and peaks appears on a Chinese banknote.
Yellow Cloth Shoal reflections
黄布倒影
A calm reach near Xingping where the peaks are mirrored in the water above a shoal of yellowish rock.
Yangdi
杨堤
A village and river bend upstream of Xingping, the start of the most popular stretch for bamboo rafts.
Plants and wildlife
The river's clear water and the forested upper catchment on Mao'er Shan sustain a rich freshwater life, while the karst towers support specialised plants on thin, lime-rich soils and in cave mouths. Water quality and flow in the dry season depend on the upstream reservoirs and on protection of the headwater forests.
Plants
Phoenix-tail bamboo
凤尾竹
Feathery bamboo that lines the banks of the river.
Karst vegetation
喀斯特植被
Scrub and small trees rooted in cracks of the limestone towers, adapted to drought and alkaline soils.
Wildlife
Cormorant
鸬鹚
Great cormorants kept by fishermen and trained to catch fish, a tradition now mostly kept alive for visitors.
River fish
漓江鱼
The river's fish and freshwater prawns are a staple of Guilin cooking.
Culture and legend
Guilin's landscape has shaped Chinese art and poetry since the Tang dynasty, and the saying “Guilin's scenery is the finest under heaven” (桂林山水甲天下) became proverbial from the Song. The river runs through lands of the Han, Zhuang and Yao peoples, and its villages are known for cormorant fishing and bamboo rafts. Yangshuo, at the end of the classic river journey, grew from a county town into a base for walking, cycling and climbing in the karst.
Lingqu Canal
灵渠
A canal built under the Qin around 214 BCE in Xing'an county, linking the Xiang and the Li and so the Yangtze and Pearl river systems.
Yangshuo
阳朔
The town at the end of the classic river trip, surrounded by karst peaks and farmland.
Bamboo rafts
竹筏
Traditional rafts of lashed bamboo poles, now often made of plastic tubes, poled or motored along the river.
History
c. 214 BCE
Lingqu canal completed
Qin armies link the Li with the Xiang, opening a route from central China to the south.
Tang and Song dynasties
Guilin enters poetry and painting
Officials and poets posted to Guilin make its karst landscape famous.
1982
National scenic area
Guilin Li River is listed among the first national key scenic areas.
2014
UNESCO World Heritage
Guilin karst is added to the South China Karst site in its second phase.
Through the seasons
Spring
Misty and often grey, which softens the peaks into the look of ink paintings; the water rises from April.
Summer
Hot and wet, with the river at its fullest and greenest; heavy rain can suspend boat traffic.
Autumn
Clearer skies and pleasant temperatures; water levels fall, and in dry years the shallowest reaches become difficult for larger boats.
Winter
Cool and often overcast, with low water; the quietest season.
Routes and ways in
Guilin to Yangshuo by boat
The classic river journey south from the Guilin area to Yangshuo, taking most of a day.
Yangdi to Xingping on foot
A riverside path between the two villages, crossing the river by ferry at several points; most of a day on foot.
Xingping and Laozhai Shan
A short, steep climb from Xingping to a summit viewpoint over a great bend of the river.
Practical notes
- River trips depend on water levels and weather; in drought or flood they may be shortened or suspended.
- Bamboo rafts and boats on the Li are regulated; use licensed operators from the official piers.
- Guilin has an airport and high-speed rail connections; Yangshuo has its own station on the Guiyang–Guangzhou high-speed line.
Cities to start from
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- South China Karst — UNESCO World Heritage Centre (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- Guilin Municipal People's Government — Guilin Municipal People's Government (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region People's Government — Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region People's Government (retrieved 27 September 2026)
More mountains and nature in Guangxi
- WaterfallDetian Waterfall德天瀑布A broad cross-border waterfall on the Guichun river between China and Vietnam
- Karst landscapeLeye Tiankeng乐业天坑群Giant sinkholes with forests at their floor in the karst of western Guangxi
- IslandWeizhou Island涠洲岛A young volcanic island of lava cliffs and coral reefs in the Beibu Gulf
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