Li Jiang and the karst landscape of Guilin

Li Jiang, known in English as the Li River, flows through Guilin in southern China as a broad, winding corridor framed by steep karst hills and cultivated banks. The river belongs to the Xijiang River system within the Pearl River basin and in its upper reaches forms part of the Gui River, giving this landscape its defining line of water.Xijiang River system

Water, limestone and a particular kind of scenery

Li Jiang rises in the Mao'er Mountains in Xing'an County, a high area of forested ridges north-east of Guilin, and from there it runs broadly southwards through Guilin, Yangshuo and Pingle County.originates in the Mao'er Mountains Along its course through the Guilin basin the river passes between thick clusters of limestone hills, a type of landscape known as fengcong karst, where numerous peaks share a common base separated by enclosed depressions. Further downstream around Yangshuo and south of Guilin the scenery shifts to fenglin karst, an arrangement of isolated limestone hills on a relatively flat floor that is often described as a peak forest plain.fengcong and fenglin karst

The rocks around Li Jiang consist of thick Devonian and Carboniferous limestones that have been sculpted by water and subtropical weather for millions of years, giving rise to sheer-sided hills and cliffs with narrow river margins.Devonian and Carboniferous limestones Within the Guilin Karst component of South China Karst, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014, Li Jiang runs through two protected sections known as the Putao and Lijiang areas, which together cover tens of thousands of hectares of karst terrain and buffer zones.Guilin Karst UNESCO World Heritage Site

Guilin, Yangshuo and the river corridor

In Guilin, Li Jiang passes directly through the urban area, with the city’s bridges, riverfront paths and nearby hills such as Fubo Hill and Elephant Trunk Hill marking a sequence of viewpoints along the waterway.Li River through Guilin City The river continues south towards Yangshuo, where the karst hills stand closer together and the riverbanks open into alluvial fields, small villages and clusters of bamboo and other subtropical vegetation. Between Guilin and Yangshuo a stretch of around 80 km is widely recognised as the most scenic part of Li Jiang, with the limestone peaks rising above bends in the river and low terraces on either side.section from Guilin to Yangshuo

South of Yangshuo the river flows towards Pingle County, where it merges with tributaries such as the Lipu and Gongcheng rivers and takes the name Gui River, which in turn becomes part of the wider Xijiang system before reaching the Pearl River in Guangdong.merges with the Lipu and Gongcheng Across its full course from the Mao'er Mountains to the confluence near Pingle, Li Jiang travels several hundred kilometres and drains a catchment area measured in thousands of square kilometres, linking mountain terrain with lower-lying plains through a continuous ribbon of water.437-kilometre Lijiang River

Landscape, culture and a river on banknotes

The karst hills lining Li Jiang have acquired individual names and stories over time, with formations near Yangshuo such as the scene at Yellow Cloth Shoal appearing on the 20 yuan banknote and serving as emblematic views of the river landscape.Yellow Cloth Shoal on the 20 yuan banknote The valley supports agriculture on narrow strips of land along the water and in the wider basin where sediment has accumulated between the limestone hills, creating a pattern of fields and orchards between the rocky outcrops. Guilin’s name, which translates as “Forest of Osmanthus”, reflects the presence of these fragrant trees in the area around the river as well as in the city itself.Guilin means Forest of Osmanthus

Along Li Jiang, river transport has linked settlements in the valley for centuries, and modern vessels continue to move between Guilin and Yangshuo on the navigable stretches of the waterway.waterway between Guilin and Yangshuo The river corridor also frames nearby viewpoints such as Crown Cave south of Guilin City and Nanzhou, Liberation and Lijiang bridges upstream, which mark stages along the flow of water through the built environment.Crown Cave and bridges in Guilin

Visiting Li Jiang: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• Li Jiang flows through Guilin in Guangxi in southern China, with the most widely visited stretch running between Guilin and Yangshuo along the valley of limestone hills.
• Much of the river corridor lies within a karst basin, so paths and approaches can include uneven ground, short climbs to small viewpoints and steps on hills and riverbanks.
• The section between Guilin and Yangshuo is reached by road from Guilin’s urban area, with various piers and villages along the water providing access points to the river.
• The official language is Chinese and the currency is the Chinese yuan.
• Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.

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Frequently asked questions about Li Jiang

Where is Li Jiang?

Li Jiang is a river in Guangxi in southern China, flowing from the Mao'er Mountains in Xing'an County through Guilin, Yangshuo and towards Pingle County.

What can visitors expect along the river?

Visitors find a valley of limestone hills, cultivated riverbanks, bridges and caves, with Guilin’s urban waterfront and smaller settlements lining the water between Guilin and Yangshuo.

What makes Li Jiang distinctive?

Li Jiang is distinctive for its combination of fengcong and fenglin karst landscapes, thick Devonian and Carboniferous limestones and the way Guilin and Yangshuo sit within this river corridor.