Enchanting Beauty And Sustainability In Yangshuo, China

Yulong River Yangshuo Sustainable Tourism Responsible Travel

On the banks of the Yulong River we watch as the sun drops down behind a limestone peak. The sky radiates shades of orange and crimson, while the ripples left behind from a floating bamboo raft glisten in the final rays of light. I had heard stories of the serenity and beauty of Yangshuo long before we arrived in China, and the rumours were now proving to be true. This was heaven – A place so magical it has inspired millions of oil paintings and captured the imagination of artists and travellers for centuries. Digging my feet into the grass, I too am equally inspired.

The fabled tales from guide books and tourists are true; there is something special about the Guangxi province in South West China. From the staggered paddies of the Longji Dragon’s Backbone Rice Terraces to the pristine surroundings of Guilin City, the scenery here is almost certain to steal your breath in wondrous awe.

In the midst of this beauty lies the region’s most popular attraction, and with good reason. Yangshuo is a stunning example of a place where captivating vistas are combined with countless ways to enjoy them. From rock climbing on the hundreds of karst mountains around Yangshuo to drifting down the Yulong River on a bamboo raft, you can really choose to be as active, or as relaxed as you like.

Views Yangshuo Sustainable Tourism Responsible Travel
Sensational views in Yangshuo.

A place this superb could not remain a secret forever though, and now the famous ‘West Street’ and downtown region is completely overrun with domestic tourists as well as international visitors. One can barely even step off of the bus without being completely swarmed with touts offering tours and hotel rooms. First impressions may lead you to believe that sustainable tourism is long dead in Yangshuo, but thankfully that is not the case. All you need to do is step outside the city centre and discover the splendid beauty away from the chaos.

Alesha and I had seen images of Yangshuo and instantly imagined a Chinese version of our favourite place in the world, Phong Nha in Vietnam. While we had seen what cultural harm could be done to other Chinese cities such as Lijiang when it comes to mass tourism, we still had high hopes for the limestone landscapes of Guangxi.

The initial arrival at the bus station was quite a shock to the system – touts physically blocked the door so no one could disembark without going through them first. We didn’t know whether to laugh or scream at the manic calamity of it all. It this what we were to expect during our time here? Luckily it took less than three minutes to restore our faith in the town.

Yangshuo Guangxi China Sustainable Tourism Responsible Travel

I could try and be poetic in my descriptions of Yangshuo, with lush pastures rolling into soaring cliffs, all peppered with dense and forbidding jungle, but any attempts on my behalf would fail to do justice to what we encountered. Let’s just say that it was better than we ever could have expected. Indeed even better than the image on the back of the 20RMB note…

All I could do was look at our smiling taxi driver and mumble a butchered attempt at ‘meili’, the Chinese word for beautiful. My poor pronunciation did not matter. He nodded in enthusiastic agreement. He knew more than anyone that his home was beautiful.

Arriving at the Yangshuo Mountain Retreat, about 8km from the city centre and situated on the edge of the Yulong River was like materialising in a fairy tale. The perfectly manicured gardens complemented the subtle construction divinely, all surrounded by rising towers of limestone on every side.

Yangshuo Guangxi China Sustainable Tourism Responsible Travel

It didn’t take long for us to eagerly head out to see what pockets of perfection nature had hidden in Guangxi. Securing our transport, we bolted off towards the mountains.

The absolute best way to explore Yangshuo is on two wheels. Even though this is one of the few places in China where a foreigner can rent a motorbike (and after our South East Asia motorcycle adventures, we were tempted!), we opted for the pedal variety and loved every second of it.

For three days we jumped on our mountain bikes and became completely lost in the beguiling terrain. Our lack of directional knowledge did not matter, as we were constantly transfixed by the enchanting countryside. By using our own bicycles instead of taking buses, taxis or motorbikes, we were also able to keep our carbon footprint down while saving some money. Win win!

Bicycle Yangshuo Guangxi China Sustainable Tourism Responsible Travel
Jazza loving being back on two wheels!

The few times that we did find ourselves on the famous West Street were completely lacklustre and underwhelming. Here we had to dodge selfie-stick wielding salesmen and overpriced juice vendors every step of the road. It may be appealing to some, but for us we couldn’t wait to leave it all behind for greener scenes. And lucky enough, greener scenes are everywhere to be found in Yangshuo.

Unfortunately for us the weather did not really cooperate, and we were unable to get any rock climbing or kayaking in due to the rain and periodic thunderstorms. All this means is that we will have to add Yangshuo onto our long, long list of places to come back to in the future!

With the onslaught of domestic tourists to Yangshuo, and visitor numbers rising every year we can only imagine what will happen to this place as time goes on. Will it grow into a haven of sustainable tourism full of responsible travellers, or will it spiral out of control?

For this particular place, it is hard to say. Maybe it already has spiralled into mass tourist oblivion – but there is still hope. While more and more people flock to West Street to snap photos with Madame Tussauds’ wax figures, there are patches of tranquillity and sustainability not too far from the city centre.

Yangshuo Guangxi China Sustainable Tourism Responsible Travel

Yangshuo Mountain Retreat

The Yangshuo Mountain Retreat is an ideal example of how a hotel can develop a strong business model focused on sustainable tourism and be completely successful.

In a day and age where convenience takes priority over environmental benefits, the Yangshuo Mountain Retreat breaks away from this irresponsible mindset and has removed all disposable items from their inventory. This means you won’t find any plastic cutlery, napkins or single-use cosmetics – even the rubbish bags are biodegradable!

The custom furniture is made from locally-sourced bamboo, which grows at a much faster rate than almost all other commercially used timbers. The hot water systems run on solar power, and they have installed one of the most eco-friendly septic and sewage systems in the entire town. As if that wasn’t enough, 5% of their profits are used on developing new green initiatives. When they say they are environmentally friendly, they mean it.

View Yangshuo Mountain Retreat Guangxi China Sustainable Tourism Responsible Travel
Yangshuo Mountain Retreat View Yangshuo Guangxi China Sustainable Tourism Responsible Travel
The incredible view from our room at the Yangshuo Mountain Retreat.

What truly sets them apart from the rest though is their dedication to the training and development of their staff. From early beginnings, owner Chris Barclay put his employees as a priority, and even hired a staff development coach, Ronald Van de Weerd, to aid in their training.

All the employees are locals to the area and are actively encouraged to eventually branch out and establish their own businesses. From the moment we arrived, the staff were attentive and friendly, and allowed their personalities to shine through rather than act like robots who are only there to serve every customers whim and request. What a pleasant experience!

Staff Yangshuo Mountain Retreat Eco Lodge Guangxi China Sustainable Tourism Responsible Travel
Some of the lovely staff from Yangshuo Mountain Retreat.

We were absolutely thrilled with our stay at the Yangshuo Mountain Retreat, and it really helped ensure we left town in a positive mood on what is happening in the region. When we found out that a further 5% of their profits is donated to helping children with brittle bone disease, the decision to stay there was even more worthwhile.

It is becoming easier and easier to choose places promoting sustainable tourism if we just do a bit of research before arriving. In a place as beautiful, yet as developed, as Yangshuo, it is important to find and use these responsible operators and accommodations to ensure we minimise the effects of our own travels. Small decisions can have big impacts. Make sure they are the right ones.

Yangshuo China Sustainable Tourism Responsible Travel

The costs of our accommodation was covered by the Yangshuo Mountain Retreat. All thoughts, opinions and words are, of course, our own.

Alesha and Jarryd

Alesha and Jarryd

Hey! We are Alesha and Jarryd, the award-winning writers and professional photographers behind this blog. We have been travelling the world together since 2008, with a passion for adventure travel and sustainable tourism. Through our stories and images we promote exciting off-the-beaten-path destinations and fascinating cultures as we go. As one of the world's leading travel journalists, our content and adventures have been featured by National Geographic, Lonely Planet, CNN, BBC, Forbes, Business Insider, Washington Post, Yahoo!, BuzzFeed, Channel 7, Channel 10, ABC, The Guardian, and plenty other publications. Follow our journey in real time on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.

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13 thoughts on “Enchanting Beauty And Sustainability In Yangshuo, China”

  1. Hi!
    I have decided to focus my university dissertation on sustainable tourism in Yangshuo, could you help me with some information and you opinions?
    Thank you so much!

    • Hi Elisa, we recommend emailing the hotel for information. All the best with your project. 🙂

  2. I believe the secret garden some of you were searching for is, wait for it…The Secret Garden, a very hip vernacular building restoration designed and built in Yangshuo’s ancient Jiu Xian village by my dear friend Ian – a South African architect whom all the locals call “Fengzi” (Mandarin for Crazy). Crazy like a fox. His unique approach to mud brick luxury is sublime in a way the Farmhouse at Village Inn can only aspire to be. The Secret Garden is a must visit in Yangshuo.

  3. I am homesick for Yangshuo looking at your pics! Enjoy and don’t forget to go to Xiamen and Gulangyu Island.

    • We didn’t have time to go to Xiamen or Gulangyu Island unfortunately. We’ll add them to the list! Thanks Ruthi 🙂

  4. Hi guys! China looks amazing and this post is beautiful. I also really like the approach that you’ve taken here – its refreshing and so important to visit these beautiful places responsible and perverse them for future generations! I have been following your blog for a while now and love your adventures and tips. I’ve nominated you for the Liebster Award – check it out here to find out more, accept the award and pass it on to other bloggers that you love https://www.global-gallivanting.com/the-liebster-award/

    • China really is an incredible place, and it gets even better when we can find places like the Yangshuo Mountain Retreat. And thanks so much for the nomination for the Liebster Award 🙂

  5. Lovely 🙂 We stayed in the center of town, and did not love it. Wish we knew about the mountain retreat! We did however find a secret garden on one of our bike adventures, and it was amazing – cumquat wine, delicious grilled cheese, and very very pretty interiors — for the life of me i can’t remember the name of the place. did you guys come across anything like this?

    • Damn, we never found that secret garden! Really wish we had – it sounds incredible.

  6. Beautiful photos!
    I love hearing about resorts that take environmental sustainability seriously, it is so rare in this day and age.
    Thanks for sharing!

    • It is wonderful when we find accommodation that takes sustainability seriously. Thanks for reading, Sarah 🙂

  7. I thought I was all China’d out after our 4 months there, but you guys are seriously making me want to go back!

    • This place is so massive! Just too many beautiful spots everywhere. 🙂

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