Yulong River – the most beautiful river in Yangshuo
Last Update: 4th October 2020
What is the Yulong River?
The 43.5-kilometers-long Yulong River covers an area of 158.47 square kilometers. It passes by Jinbao, Putao, Baisha, Yangshuo and Gaotian Towns. Acclaimed as “Small Li River”, Yulong River features not only natural views but also old houses with local culture to explore.
- Chinese Name: Yulonghe (遇龙河)
- Length: 43.5 kilometers
- Things to do there: Photography, Culture, Cruise, Hiking, Bamboo Rafting, Cycling, Hot Air Balloon, Helicopter Tour
- Who visits: Photographers, Culture Lovers, Nature Lovers, Adventure Enthusiasts
- Time required: 1 x day
Interested in visiting the Yulong River during a Yangshuo Tour?
Yulong River has more than 20 scenic spots to explore. Cuiping Hill is an ideal spot to enjoy the sunning sunset and karst hills. The hill is a great choice for hiking and nature lovers. Originally built in the Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644), Fuli Old Bridge and the reflection in the Yulong River with the karst hills as the background are also exciting photography materials.
Jiuxian Old Village close to the Yulong River is very popular among culture and history lovers. It is more than 1,400 years old, offering the old houses in the Ming and Qing (1644 – 1912) Dynasties, including the General’s Mansion and Jinshi Mansion. Some of the old houses are transformed into hotels. You could enjoy a relaxing cycling tour there and have a quiet night at one of the hotels there if you’d like to.
The must-experience activity there is bamboo rafting. It is operated by local villagers by a traditional way. They use a bamboo pole to drive the raft go. One raft can just accommodate two passengers who are above 1.2m tall (1.2m tall included) and under 70 years old (70 years old included). On the raft, you’ll be amazed at the gorgeous views along the river. If you come in spring, you may see locals plowing the rice field with a bull in the traditional way. There are several sections for bamboo rafting. The most beautiful is between Jinlong Bridge and Jiuxiu Village. After bamboo rafting, it is recommended that you explore the area via foot or on a bike to get different excitement.
With the development of tourism industry in Yangshuo, local operators provide hot air balloon and helicopter tours along the Yulong River. To appreciate the views in the sky is very exciting. But the hot air balloon is fixed at one specific point that it can’t move. The helicopter tour can take you to admire the natural views along the Yulong River as well as the views from Yangshuo to Guilin along the Yulong River and the Li River and from Yangshuo to Longji Rice Terraces back to Yangshuo.
Ten-mile Gallery, Moon Hill, Big Banyan Tree, Butterfly Spring, and Shangri La Park, are also situated in the Yulong River Basin.
Best time to visit the Yulong River?
If you’d like to visit it for photography purposes, the best time to visit is at sunrise and sunset.
If you mean to enjoy a quiet bamboo rafting, the best time is in the early morning.
The best months to visit are from March to November.
How to get to the Yulong River?
As Yulong River is located in a scenic area where private vehicles are forbidden to run, excluding the bicycle and the battery cart, you’d need to rent a vehicle to the entrance to the area. Then, you can get a ticket for the shuttle bus. The pricing is 20 CNY per person as at 13th November 2019. Alternatively, you can rent a bicycle or a battery cart at the entrance.
Additional Yulong River Advice
- Opening hours: 24 hours.
- You can take the shuttle bus with the ticket for unlimited times during one day.
- As at 4th October 2020, the pricing of renting a battery cart is 50 CNY per day and that of renting a bicycle is 20 CNY per day.
- Tens of hotels in the scenic area offer amazing night views.
Interested in visiting the Yulong River on a Tour?