Guilin and Yangshuo

Guilin and Yangshuo are among the top 10 sites to see in China.

We spent our four-day Tomb Sweeping holiday time down there.

The Reed Flute Cave was our first stop and it was spectacular!
It is spacious, well lit, and has eerie stalagtite and stalagmite formations.

The pools of water are as smooth as glass.

Afterward, we climbed the Solitary Beauty Peak to view Guilin.

This was our first glimpse of the many limestone peak formations that make this area unique.

One formation is called "Elephant Trunk Hill" because it looks like an elephant drinking from the river.

From our angle, it looked more like an armadillo or porcupine.

There are also several banyon trees throughout this region.  This one is over 1,400 years old!

Don't you just love pig benches?

The "Elephant Trunk Hill" can even be found on manhole covers.

Next, we sailed down the Li River in a motorized bamboo raft.
It stopped raining just before we set sail
and the mist gave us stunning views of the peaks.

Many famous Chinese artists have come here
to capture the beauty of these ghost-like peaks.
I painted small cards as we sailed down river.

The limestone mountains are also on the back of the 20 yuan bill.

It's not every day that chickens run up to have their photo taken.

At night, we sailed up river to see some peculiar

methods of fishing.

Fisherman use Great Cormorants to catch fish.

(They temporarily bind their throats so they

can't swallow the fish).

The travel books say, "You haven't seen China

until you visit Guilin and Yangshuo."

I agree!