14-Day Three Gorges with classic China Tour

A cruise along the Li River between Guilin and Yangshuo is an unforgettable experience. As you take in the stunning scenery there's something interesting to see at almost every bend in the river. Between spectacular limestone peaks you'll see graceful bamboo groves, farmers tending rice paddies, and lumbering water buffaloes pulling carts or cooling off in the river. You may see fishermen gliding along on their narrow bamboo rafts, and if you're very lucky you might see one of the famous fishing cormorants. Boats depart from various wharves, according to the height of the river at different times of the year.

Originated in Mountain Mao'er at Xin'an county northeast of Guilin, Li River winds its way southeast for about 437 km, passing through Guilin, Yangshuo, Pingle, Zhaoping and finally meets Xi River in Wulin. It boasts the largest and most beautiful scenic area in China and attracts thousands of visitors. The 83-km-long waterway from Guilin to Yangshuo is the masterpiece of Li River, decorated with rolling hills, steep cliffs, fantastic caves, leisurely boats and lined bamboos. A poem says: "The river is a green silk ribbon, and the hills are jade hair-pins." The cruise along Li River may be divided into three parts, i.e. the section from Guilin to Ox Gorge, the section from Ox Gorge to Water-Dropping Village and the third from Water-Dropping Village to Yangshuo. From Guilin to Ox Gorge (Total 46km; 4 hours' voyage) After boating out of Guilin city, comes the Elephant Trunk Hill and Pagoda Hill, which highlights the river. Downstream a while, two hills named "Chuanshan" on the east bank and Gamecock Hill across the river with a moon-shaped cave resembles a pair of fighting roosters, hence the name "Rooster Fighting Hill". Southward, Jingping Hill (Clear Vase Hill) jumps into your eyes, elegant and simple, like an overturned vase lay in waterRafting downstream from Jingping Hill, on the banks near Daxu town, a range of hump-like peaks rises steeply, famed as "Forest of Odd Shaped Peaks". It is a typical Karst landform in Guilin. At the spot where Li River meets Liangfeng River lies Father and Son Hill. Two human-like stones on the hill have a legend that a man, refused to build boats for a landlord, sheltered himself in a cave with his son. South of Father and Son Hill is Millstone Hill where a dock situates 28km from Guilin with a throughput of 3,000,000 people annually. Boating south from this dock, and passing Nine Dragon Playing the Water, the ship enters the Ox Gorge, from where comes the next climax. From Ox Gorge to Water-Dropping Village (To

Located 5 kilometers northwest of Guilin city, the Reed Flute Cave gets the name from the reeds used for making flutes and pipes that grow at its entrance. The cave is regarded as the largest and most impressive cave in Guilin. It is 240 meters long, and the length of the tour is about 550 meters offering a magic land of stalactites, stalagmites, stone pillars, stone curtains, birds, plants and animals in fantastic shapes and colors. The visit lasts for 40 minutes and there are a lot of steps. Watch your step as the lights are dim. You guide will show you by electric torch.

Located 5 kilometers northwest of Guilin city, the Reed Flute Cave is in fact a cave on the southern shoulder of the Guangming Hill (Bright Hill). Got its name by the reeds used for making flutes and pipes growing at its entrance, the cave is regarded as the largest and most impressive cave in Guilin city. The cave is 240 meters long, whereas the touring distance is about 550 meters, mainly offering a magic fairyland of stalactites, stalagmites, stone pillars, stone curtains, birds, plants and animals in fantastic shapes and colors. One grotto, which called the Crystal Palace of the Dragon King, can hold about 1000 people. During the war, the grotto once served as an air-raid shelter. Over 70 wall inscriptions from the Tang dynasty (618-907) were found in the walls, suggesting that the cave once been traveled by people in every dynasty. The highlight in this cave is a great slab of white rock hanging from a ledge like a cataract, with a human-shaped stalactite on its opposite. It was said that a visiting scholar tried to write a poem depicting the beauty of the cave. It cost him so much time to find the right words that he finally turned to stone. Another story goes that the slab originally was the Dragon King's needle. The Monkey King used it as a weapon to defeat the dragon's army and finally left it in the cave. The cave was opened to public in 1962. Famed as the Palace of Natural Art, the cave is now equipped with artificial lighting system to emphasize visiting effect.