Li Dan

“THE mountains and rivers in Guilin are the most beautiful scenery in this world,” Song Dynasty poet Wang Zhenggong wrote in 1201.

The poet might have thought it fitting that the 20-yuan note pays tribute to the Lijiang River, that runs through Guilin. A cruise down the river reveals how perfectly the green hills on both banks of a clear river fit the Chinese aesthetics of the tranquil beauty represented in ink paintings of Guilin.

It takes 45 minutes to fly from Shenzhen to the Chinese tourist mecca in southern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, but the 12-hour overnight bus journey is much cheaper.

Guilin is the traditional starting point for the three-part, 80-kilometer cruise that ends in Yangshuo. Cruise costs vary between 210 yuan and 420 yuan per person, from a normal boat to a deluxe boat. The hills that have been Lijiang tourist attractions for well over a thousand years start at the city center.

Three hills on the west bank of the Lijiang have attracted travelers since the Sui Dynasty (581-618). “Xiangbishan,” or Elephant Trunk Hill, the most famous of the three, is the emblem of Guilin. Formed of limestone 360 million years ago, the 55-meter hill rising from the surface of the Lijiang resembles a huge elephant sucking water into its trunk. Elephant Trunk Hill is the first landmark along the way.

Beyond Elephant Trunk Hill, nature continuously unrolls its beauty like a Chinese painting. The water is so clear that travelers mistake the color of the stones in the riverbed and the reflection of mountains for the color of the river itself, with the river appearing a miraculous dark green at first sight.

Comorant fishing

Fishermen on slim bamboo rafts — fishing with the aid of cormorants — drift past the sightseers, adding a lively touch to the ink painting-like scenery of green hills reflected in a clear river. The fishermen tie a rope around the bird’s neck, keeping them from swallowing the catch. According to a local guide, this ancient way of fishing was much more efficient than people would expect.

The fishing income from five skillful cormorants was enough to provide for a family of four. The rock known as “Jiumahuashan” (Nine Horses Painted on a Hill) challenges travelers to try to make out the pattern of nine white horses on a black rock in the middle of the river. Legend has it that former Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai could see all nine horses while a normal person sees only four or five.

20-yuan scene

From Gaoping to Xingping, along the second leg of the trip, the scenery turns more dramatic with distinct peaks and bamboo groves. The river takes a sharp turn at Xingping Village. The poetic scenery that has inspired centuries of landscape painters is the location pictured on the 20-yuan note.

Xingping boasts the finest scenery along the Lijiang River. This is where former U.S. President Bill Clinton paid a visit in 1998. The cruise will not stop at the town. But tourists can return by bike the second day, after staying the night in Yangshuo, and pay a small fee to fish from a raft with locals and try fish dishes cooked in the simple country way.

Sailing downstream to Yangshuo County, at the end of the third leg of the trip, visitors can stroll along “Xijie” (Western Street). Antique shops, art galleries, kung fu schools, cafes, inns and bars await tourists from home and abroad.

Yangshuo is the cruise’s final destination, a spot well worth spending some time at. Bicycles can be rented for 10 yuan a day. Tourists can pedal along the village roads to share the relaxed pace of life with locals.

Local drama

On the way back from Yangshuo to Guilin by bus, a 17-meter-tall banyan tree stands on the bank of the Jinbao River, a tributary of the Lijiang. A scene from “Liusanjie” (“Third Sister Liu”), a well-known movie of the 1960s, was shot under the tree. This is where Liusanjie sings out her love and throws a flower ball to brother Niu.

The theme of the movie — Liusanjie fighting the landlord and seeking her true love — was adapted by director Zhang Yimou for a gala show set against the background of the riverside hills. The show is staged every night in Yangshuo, where a seat costs no less than 188 yuan.

Back in Guilin, a comfortable hotel room in the downtown area costs between 150 and 200 yuan (US$18 to 25) in the off-season — barring national holidays or summer vacations.

It rains so often in the city that locals automatically take umbrellas with them and eat hot food to stay healthy in the damp climate.

Tourists should not miss the chance to taste authentic Guilin rice noodles. The ancient way of cooking rice noodles has pebbles from the Lijiang River boiled in hot oil added to the pot. The surprise ingredient — a long tradition — shows the sophisticated knowledge of locals about the function of minerals. And what better way to pay for this local specialty than with a 20-yuan bank note depicting the river.