1Highlights
Xingping is a fishing village on the Li River with roughly a thousand years of history, noticeably quieter than Yangshuo and, for many photographers, the most rewarding base on the river — because the stretch of water widely identified with the back of the ¥20 note lies just outside town. The old town itself is only a few lanes and takes about fifteen minutes to walk. The real draw is the water: mist hanging between the peaks before sunrise, a fisherman working a bamboo raft, and the whole river turning gold once the light arrives. A climb of roughly thirty minutes up Laozhai Hill opens the classic overlook of the river's great bend.
- Entry
- Old town is free
- Old town walk
- About 15 minutes
- Laozhai Hill
- About 30 minutes each way
- Access
- Yangshuo (Xingping) rail station
- Best hours
- Sunrise and sunset
- Trail lighting
- None — descend before dark
2Tickets
The old town is free and open through the day — no ticket and no reservation. Everything chargeable sits outside it: Li River bamboo rafts (priced per section and negotiated on site), Laozhai Hill (free, but you climb it), fisherman photo sessions (charged personally by the fisherman) and the Xianggong Hill viewpoint (a separate ticket, reached by car). Reference ranges are given below, but these are negotiated or locally posted figures rather than fixed official prices.
| Xingping old town | Free | Open through the day; no ticket and no booking. |
|---|---|---|
| Laozhai Hill climb | Free | Around thirty minutes of steps each way; no lighting on the trail. |
| Li River raft, Xingping section | Reference ¥150–250 per raft | Priced by section and negotiated; confirm whether the return leg is included. |
| Fisherman photo session | Reference ¥100–200 per session | Charged personally by the fisherman; often split between several people. |
| Xianggong Hill viewpoint | Reference ¥60 | A separate viewpoint with its own ticket; needs a car to reach. |
Three different boat experiences, three separate tickets：Guilin has three water experiences that visitors constantly confuse. The Li River cruise is a large scheduled passenger boat running Guilin to Yangshuo over roughly four hours, sold by boat class through official channels. A Yulong River bamboo raft is a short, negotiated ride on a small tributary near Yangshuo — no gate ticket at all. A Li River bamboo raft around Xingping or Yangdi is a third thing again, on the main river, also negotiated on site. None of these tickets covers another, and the word 'raft' alone does not tell you which river you are on. Decide which experience you actually want before paying anyone.
The ¥20 note view is a river-level angle, not the hilltop panorama：The karst scene widely identified as the one on the back of the ¥20 note is taken from water level on the Li River near Xingping — Yuanbao Hill with the Yellow Cloth reflection. You can see that angle from the cruise deck in the final stretch, or from the riverbank and a raft near Xingping pier, where signposts mark it. The famous overhead views of the river's great bend from Laozhai Hill or Xianggong Hill are a different composition entirely — spectacular, but not the banknote. Knowing which one you are after saves a wasted climb or a wasted fare.
Some things here have official prices, others are negotiated — know which：The Li River cruise, Reed Flute Cave and the Longji gate ticket all have published official prices sold through official channels. Bamboo rafts, fisherman photo sessions and chartered cars generally do not have standardised rates — quotes vary between operators and between seasons. For anything in the second group, settle four things before you commit: which route or section, how long, whether the return leg is included, and the total for the whole party. Agreeing after you are already on the water is the single most common way visitors get surcharged here.
The net-casting shot is a paid performance, not a chance encounter：Net-casting is genuine local work, and some fishermen now also stage it for photographers for a fee. Treat it as what it is: agree the price and the number of casts beforehand, ask two or three people since quotes vary, and be courteous — these are working people, not props.
3Getting There
Xingping sits in northern Yangshuo county, roughly 25 km from Yangshuo town. High-speed rail is the easiest approach because Yangshuo (Xingping) station is close to the town itself.
Alight at Yangshuo (Xingping) station, then roughly ten minutes by taxi into town.
Yangshuo bus station to Xingping in about forty minutes.
Yangshuo town to Xingping in about forty minutes.
The riverside lanes make a fine ride, but it is a real workout over that distance.
Staying in town is the whole point：The mist-and-fisherman hour happens before most day-trippers have left Yangshuo. If dawn is what you came for, you have to sleep here; guesthouses in the old town also tend to cost less than Yangshuo equivalents.
4Route & Photos
The plan is straightforward: old town lanes → the riverside viewpoints → Laozhai Hill (or a drive to Xianggong Hill). Photographers add a dawn session by the water. It is all walking plus one climb, so half a day to a full day covers it.
A workable timetable：Be at the water about forty minutes before sunrise for the mist, walk the old town mid-morning, rest through the middle of the day, then start up Laozhai Hill around an hour before sunset and begin descending thirty minutes before it sets.
Recommended Route
- 1
Old town lanes
Stone paving, an old opera stage and fishing-village houses — about fifteen minutes, free.
- 2
Riverside by the pier
The banknote stretch is close by; midday light is flat but access is easy.
- 3
Dawn spot by the water
Raft, fisherman and mist — the frame Xingping is known for.
- 4
Laozhai Hill summit
Around thirty minutes of steps to the panorama of the river's great bend.
- 5
Start down before dusk
Begin descending thirty minutes before sunset; the steps have no lighting.
Best Photo Spots
Laozhai Hill summit
The overlook of the river bend; strong at both sunrise and sunset, after a thirty-minute climb.
Dawn spot by the water
Roughly 6–7 AM: raft, fisherman and mist together, in the softest light of the day.
Old opera stage in the lanes
A quieter subject in the old town, and it works even in harsh midday light.
5Food & Stay
| Riverside farm kitchensRiver fish and free-range chicken | Mid-range | Simple cooking with fresh ingredients, along the old street. |
|---|---|---|
| Guilin rice noodlesBreakfast | Cheap | The local breakfast, and generally cheaper here than in Yangshuo. |
| Riverside restaurantsBeer fish | Tourist pricing | Ask for unit prices before ordering, especially for fish sold by weight. |
Confirm the price of anything sold by weight：River fish is commonly priced per unit weight rather than per dish. Ask for the rate and have the fish weighed in front of you before it goes to the kitchen — this is the standard way to avoid a surprise at the end.
Where to Stay
- Guesthouses inside Xingping are simple but unbeatable for position — being here is the only way to catch the dawn mist.
- Yangshuo town has more choice and better facilities, but you cannot realistically get here for sunrise from there.
6Tips & Pitfalls
- Prices, sailing schedules, opening hours and reservation rules change; verify the official notice for your date.
- Carry your passport — real-name ticketing and boarding checks may require the original document.
- Stay one night if dawn matters to you — mist plus a working fisherman is what day visitors never see.
- Wear proper shoes on Laozhai Hill: the steps are steep, sometimes slick, and there are no railings.
- Do not attempt Laozhai Hill in the dark or in rain — there is no lighting on the trail.
- Settle route, duration, return leg and total price before boarding any raft or booking any car.
- For net-casting, a fast shutter around 1/500s or quicker is what freezes the motion.
7Frequently Asked Questions
Does Xingping Ancient Town charge admission?
No. The old town is free and open through the day with no ticket and no reservation. The chargeable items all sit outside it: Li River rafts (reference ¥150–250 per raft, negotiated by section), Laozhai Hill (free but a thirty-minute climb) and fisherman photo sessions (reference ¥100–200, charged personally).
Where exactly is the ¥20 note viewpoint in Xingping?
On the river near Xingping pier — Yuanbao Hill with the Yellow Cloth reflection, where signposts mark the spot. It is a river-level, eye-height angle. The overhead views of the great bend from Laozhai Hill or Xianggong Hill are a completely different composition, so pick the one you actually want before climbing or paying for a car.
Is the Laozhai Hill climb hard, and is it worth it?
It is about thirty minutes of steps each way — not long, but steep, sometimes slick, with no railings and no lighting. It is worth it: the summit gives the panorama of the river's great bend, the best viewpoint in Xingping. Start descending around thirty minutes before sunset so you are off the steps before dark.
Should I stay in Xingping or Yangshuo?
They are complementary rather than competing, but if dawn photography is your reason for coming, stay in Xingping. It is quieter and generally cheaper, and the mist-and-fisherman hour is simply not reachable on a day trip from Yangshuo. For nightlife, dining variety and bike rental, Yangshuo wins.
How do I arrange a fisherman photo session?
Negotiate directly with the fisherman by the river. Reference quotes run around ¥100–200 per session and are often split between several photographers. Agree the price, the number of casts and the timing beforehand, and confirm the night before if you want the dawn slot — that is when the mist is there.
Combine With
Other Guilin sights that genuinely pair well with this one
Before You Go
The practical guides you will actually need here
All Guilin attractions
Klook
Compare Xingping and Yangshuo tours with transport included
The old town itself is free, so there is no entry ticket to book. Where a booked product helps is the parts that are negotiated on site — rafts, viewpoint transfers and chartered cars. Klook lists Yangshuo and Xingping day tours in English at published prices; on the listing, confirm which river section any raft product covers, whether the viewpoint ticket is included, and the pickup point.
- The old town is free — you are paying for transport and rafts
- Check which section, how long and whether the return leg is included
- Sailing schedules and suspensions follow the operator's decision on the day
- Read the change and cancellation terms before paying
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GoChinaTravel Editorial Team
Our team of China travel researchers combines on-the-ground contributor insights, official government sources, and traveler community feedback to create the most detailed English-language China guides available. Every guide is fact-checked against primary sources (NIA, 12367, official attraction websites, Railway 12306) before publication.