Nestled 70km south of Guilin in the thick of China's most spectacular karst scenery, YANGSHUO , meaning Bright Moon, rose to prominence during the mid-1980s, when visitors on Li River cruises from Guilin realized that beyond simply spending an hour here buying souvenirs, the village made an excellent place to settle down and get on intimate terms with the river and its peaks. Yangshuo has grown a bit since then, but the atmosphere remains essentially the same, and with Guilin orientated firmly towards big-spending tour groups, so independent travellers - an increasing number of them Chinese - have made Yangshuo their haven instead. It's an ideal spot to cocoon ruffled nerves: hills surround everything, village lanes swarm with market activity, and there are restaurants and accommodation everywhere. You can rent a bike and spend a day zipping between hamlets, scale the peaks, study calligraphy or tai ji or just relax in the village park.

Attractions in Yangshuo

Neighboring Areas: Yunnan, Guizhou, Hunan and Guangdong provinces

Population: 298,000

Area: 1428.38 sq km

History: established as a county in the Sui dynasty (A. D. 590)

Climate the sub-tropical monsoon climate with temperate weather all the year round; with the sunlight of 1,465 hours and 300 days frost-free period annaully; neither too hot in summer nor too cold in winter

Average Temperature: 19C annually

Rainfall: 1,640mm annually

Mountains: Moon Hill, Xiu Hill, Mural Hill, Snail Hill (Luoshi Hill), Xilang Hill, Schoolboy Hill, Chaoban Hill

Rivers: Yulong River, Li River