Xingping Town
Xingping Town
4
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The area
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11 within 10 kms
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
4.0
256 reviews
Excellent
97
Very good
92
Average
49
Poor
10
Terrible
8
kewal d
Yokohama, Japan254 contributions
Dec 2019 • Couples
Recommended to visit.
River, karst mountain, clear blue sky make up the best time to visit xingping. Place is extremely famous for sunset and fisherman tour.
Must visit.
River, karst mountain, clear blue sky make up the best time to visit xingping. Place is extremely famous for sunset and fisherman tour.
Must visit.
Written 17 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MN8888
Liverpool, UK1,854 contributions
Sept 2024 • Family
The town itself was a stopover from the Li River cruise . The main attraction is the scenery of the mountains but the village town itself is very small and very little to do with a short street of souvenir shops and restaurants.
We had to.stop here to get back to Guilin . I would recommend the 4 seater bamboo boat scenery cruise.
We had to.stop here to get back to Guilin . I would recommend the 4 seater bamboo boat scenery cruise.
Written 1 September 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SOH KIEN PENG
Singapore, Singapore9,517 contributions
Aug 2016 • Couples
I set aside one day for this trip to Xing Ping. Early morning, I took bus no. 5 from Yangshuo North Bus Station which was just across the street from my hotel and alighted at Yangshuo South Station (bus fare only RMB1). I then walked across the street and took the little blue bus with the signboard on the bus screen that stated 兴坪 (Xingping in Chinese) for the old town. The bus fare cost RMB10 and the journey took about an hour to reach the town.
Upon alighting at the old town, we head towards the quay. The view at the quay was stunning especially as the morning sunlight flooded the area where the many motorized bamboo rafts and launches berthed by the harbor front. The meandering Li River shimmered and sparkled in the lovely sunlight and the scenic karst mountains at the background unveiled like a picturesque painting along the long stretch of the river.
It was a beautiful sight.
Beside the quay was the Laozhai Mountain and I was hoping to hike up to the summit to get a more gorgeous panoramic view of Xingping. But the steps were uneven and there was no railing to hold onto. I gave up eventually and settled with equally stunning views of the Li River which were taken from the pavilion near the base of the mountain.
From the quay, I walked a distance (about 100 m) across a bridge to the `RMB 20 note' view points. The scenery was fantastic but there were only two to three such view points overlooking the gorgeous river view of the karst mountain scenery. These view points were run by private photography operators. While the operators would not stop you from taking the scenery, many visitors crowd at these view points for photographs to be taken and you have to wait for the right opportunity and timing to take your own photographs.
From the 20 RMB note view points, I walked further down the street and there was another quay where a long queue of visitors were waiting to board the bamboo rafts down the Li River. There was a broad walk for visitors to view the river side view. This is the place with one of the most breathtaking views of the Li River. I wandered along the broad walk finding the focus point and best angle to take photographs of the riverside scenery.
From here, I decided to walk to the Nine Horse Mural Hill. It took me more than an hour to walk my way to the Mural Hill. It was a relaxed stroll along the Li River. I loved the walk. The atmosphere was tranquil and calm. There was a concrete pathway where you can easily walk all the way from the quay to Nine Horse Mural Hill. The river side view along this stretch of walkway was equally fascinating. You could see the many bamboo rafts rattling with their outboard engines along the meandering Li River and the karst mountains loom high along the way.
You have to get the ferry to transport you across to the other side of the river in order to have a solid wholesome view of the Mural Hill and to continue the journey up to Yangdi. You need to cross the river thrice if you would to continue your hiking up all the way to Yangdi. I did not venture further. From Xingping to the Mural Hill, there is no need for any ferry crossing.
It took me another hour to walk back the same route to where I commenced.
From the quay, I walked back to Xingping town and strolled through the short pedestrian street in the old town flooded with rows of shops selling souvenirs on both side of the short street. The preserved dwellings in this old town street were really that ancient. I understand that the houses were built a thousand years ago. We visited the opera house and appreciated the intricate design of such ancient houses. My wife was delighted to find some souvenirs she liked. The price here seemed to be cheaper than that in Guilin and Yangshuo. We had our delicious `wanton noodles' lunch at a local restaurant here before we returned to Yangshuo.
Xing Ping is a quaint old town with scenic views and engulfed in an atmosphere of tranquility and calmness.
Upon alighting at the old town, we head towards the quay. The view at the quay was stunning especially as the morning sunlight flooded the area where the many motorized bamboo rafts and launches berthed by the harbor front. The meandering Li River shimmered and sparkled in the lovely sunlight and the scenic karst mountains at the background unveiled like a picturesque painting along the long stretch of the river.
It was a beautiful sight.
Beside the quay was the Laozhai Mountain and I was hoping to hike up to the summit to get a more gorgeous panoramic view of Xingping. But the steps were uneven and there was no railing to hold onto. I gave up eventually and settled with equally stunning views of the Li River which were taken from the pavilion near the base of the mountain.
From the quay, I walked a distance (about 100 m) across a bridge to the `RMB 20 note' view points. The scenery was fantastic but there were only two to three such view points overlooking the gorgeous river view of the karst mountain scenery. These view points were run by private photography operators. While the operators would not stop you from taking the scenery, many visitors crowd at these view points for photographs to be taken and you have to wait for the right opportunity and timing to take your own photographs.
From the 20 RMB note view points, I walked further down the street and there was another quay where a long queue of visitors were waiting to board the bamboo rafts down the Li River. There was a broad walk for visitors to view the river side view. This is the place with one of the most breathtaking views of the Li River. I wandered along the broad walk finding the focus point and best angle to take photographs of the riverside scenery.
From here, I decided to walk to the Nine Horse Mural Hill. It took me more than an hour to walk my way to the Mural Hill. It was a relaxed stroll along the Li River. I loved the walk. The atmosphere was tranquil and calm. There was a concrete pathway where you can easily walk all the way from the quay to Nine Horse Mural Hill. The river side view along this stretch of walkway was equally fascinating. You could see the many bamboo rafts rattling with their outboard engines along the meandering Li River and the karst mountains loom high along the way.
You have to get the ferry to transport you across to the other side of the river in order to have a solid wholesome view of the Mural Hill and to continue the journey up to Yangdi. You need to cross the river thrice if you would to continue your hiking up all the way to Yangdi. I did not venture further. From Xingping to the Mural Hill, there is no need for any ferry crossing.
It took me another hour to walk back the same route to where I commenced.
From the quay, I walked back to Xingping town and strolled through the short pedestrian street in the old town flooded with rows of shops selling souvenirs on both side of the short street. The preserved dwellings in this old town street were really that ancient. I understand that the houses were built a thousand years ago. We visited the opera house and appreciated the intricate design of such ancient houses. My wife was delighted to find some souvenirs she liked. The price here seemed to be cheaper than that in Guilin and Yangshuo. We had our delicious `wanton noodles' lunch at a local restaurant here before we returned to Yangshuo.
Xing Ping is a quaint old town with scenic views and engulfed in an atmosphere of tranquility and calmness.
Written 13 September 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
kim buay p
Singapore, Singapore13,450 contributions
Sept 2019
We booked a car to drive us to Yangdi at 7.30 am. We rode on the motorised bamboo raft from Yangdi to Nine Horse Mural Hill. Journey is 45 mins and it costs 90 yuan per person on the 4 seater raft. The life jackets provided are very new and the ride felt very safe. As there were only two of us, we paid extra 60 yuan to book the raft for ourselves. If taking the raft in the morning, one must do it before 9.15 am. We started the ride at about 9 am and we had the whole Li River to ourselves. It was so peaceful and relaxing to sit on the raft admiring the numerous karst hills. This stretch of the Li River is the most scenic.
On arrival at Nine Horse Mural Hill, we walked along the shaded path beside the LI River to Xingping. It took about an hour. Before arriving in Xingping, we saw the 20 yuan viewpoint. There are many stalls here selling fresh fruit juice. After that we crossed a bridge to get into Xingping town. It has many shops catering to the tourists. We ate lunch at Sesame Cafe of This Old Place hostel. The food is delicious and the air-conditioned room is a welcome change. After lunch, we walked to climb the nearby Laozhai Hill. One does not need to climb to the top to get good view, From the pagoda at the foot of the hill, the view is quite good too. After that we walked to the bus station to take the bus to Yangshou. Frequency of bus is every 15 mins and it costs 20 yuan. Bus is very new.
On arrival at Nine Horse Mural Hill, we walked along the shaded path beside the LI River to Xingping. It took about an hour. Before arriving in Xingping, we saw the 20 yuan viewpoint. There are many stalls here selling fresh fruit juice. After that we crossed a bridge to get into Xingping town. It has many shops catering to the tourists. We ate lunch at Sesame Cafe of This Old Place hostel. The food is delicious and the air-conditioned room is a welcome change. After lunch, we walked to climb the nearby Laozhai Hill. One does not need to climb to the top to get good view, From the pagoda at the foot of the hill, the view is quite good too. After that we walked to the bus station to take the bus to Yangshou. Frequency of bus is every 15 mins and it costs 20 yuan. Bus is very new.
Written 14 September 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LoSz
Switzerland82 contributions
Dec 2018 • Couples
Raft ride on the River:
We arrived by bus from YangShuo (= terrible place to stay) and if you walk out the bus station, follow the street strait ahead to the tourist office. Only buy tickets there and not from anybody who stops you on the street.
There are different raft ride packages. We get the one for 80 RMB/Person, which took about 50 mins and you saw everything of importance.
If you buy a ticket at the Tourist Center, they will give you a ride to their rafts. Again: DO NOT buy raft rides / tickets from others, because their either fake or overoriced.
During the rafting ride you can tell the ferry man to go a bit slower to enjoy the view ('Qing man yi dian' - 'Please a little slower').
The longer rides can take up to 3h, but I think after a while you've seen it and the tucktuck engine becomes a bit annoying.
Hiking/climbing to Viewpoint:
Right in XingPing, there's a mountain with a Pagoda on top of it. You can hike/climb up to it and have an amaxing view over the wider area with the river and hills around it. This hike I do not recomend for children or eldery people, because it is quite steep and narrow at times. The hike is doable in confortable 30-40 mins. This is a much more convenient endevour than XiangGong Mountain which is actually 9 km away from XingPing and 25 km from YangShuo. From YangShuo there is no bus to XiangGong Mountain, even if they tell you in YangShuo that there is. The bus will stop 12 km far away from the mountain, in the middle of a small town, from where you either walk the 12 km or find a, probably overoriced, ride to the mountain. No idea on how to get back to XingPing or YangShuo after that.
Old-Town:
Cute, old and small. Walk through it. Don't buy stuff, because it's not authentic, but bought in TaoBao (= the chinese AliExpress) for a fifth of the price. Nice snacks though.
We arrived by bus from YangShuo (= terrible place to stay) and if you walk out the bus station, follow the street strait ahead to the tourist office. Only buy tickets there and not from anybody who stops you on the street.
There are different raft ride packages. We get the one for 80 RMB/Person, which took about 50 mins and you saw everything of importance.
If you buy a ticket at the Tourist Center, they will give you a ride to their rafts. Again: DO NOT buy raft rides / tickets from others, because their either fake or overoriced.
During the rafting ride you can tell the ferry man to go a bit slower to enjoy the view ('Qing man yi dian' - 'Please a little slower').
The longer rides can take up to 3h, but I think after a while you've seen it and the tucktuck engine becomes a bit annoying.
Hiking/climbing to Viewpoint:
Right in XingPing, there's a mountain with a Pagoda on top of it. You can hike/climb up to it and have an amaxing view over the wider area with the river and hills around it. This hike I do not recomend for children or eldery people, because it is quite steep and narrow at times. The hike is doable in confortable 30-40 mins. This is a much more convenient endevour than XiangGong Mountain which is actually 9 km away from XingPing and 25 km from YangShuo. From YangShuo there is no bus to XiangGong Mountain, even if they tell you in YangShuo that there is. The bus will stop 12 km far away from the mountain, in the middle of a small town, from where you either walk the 12 km or find a, probably overoriced, ride to the mountain. No idea on how to get back to XingPing or YangShuo after that.
Old-Town:
Cute, old and small. Walk through it. Don't buy stuff, because it's not authentic, but bought in TaoBao (= the chinese AliExpress) for a fifth of the price. Nice snacks though.
Written 24 December 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lizhe L
Melbourne, Australia77 contributions
Oct 2015 • Solo
I think most people get here by boat, I can't comment on that, because I caught a bus from Yangshuo. It's 45 minutes and costs 8 yuan. You can either catch it from the bus station or hail it down at locations in the city (ask your hotel).
Once you get to Xingping, there's the old town which is near the docks, it's not very big, and was similar to many other old towns in China. There were place there for food and drink. The main attraction for me was the old theater, it's free to checkout, and was very interesting. If you take photos, donate 1 yuan on the way out. I think that's great value.
The best attraction for me was the Laozai mountain, it's located near the docks. I wrote a review on that, so I wont repeat myself. But I highly recommend going up, if you don't mind a bit of hiking.
If you have spare time, you can go across the river by boat and do some trekking. It costs 2 yuan each way. You can also go across by raft, but a couple I met told me that their raft ended up running away from the police, so maybe the boat is safer.
Once on the other side of the river, there are dirt roads that goes through the local villages. It was very peaceful, the view was great. I find it much more interesting than the old town. The only thing was that when I was there, it had just rained, so the road got very muddy, so expect to get your shoes dirty if it's wet.
I was talking to a local and apparently there's an old temple, and a 1500 years old tree (on the other side of the river). I didn't find them but maybe someone else would have more luck.
Once you get to Xingping, there's the old town which is near the docks, it's not very big, and was similar to many other old towns in China. There were place there for food and drink. The main attraction for me was the old theater, it's free to checkout, and was very interesting. If you take photos, donate 1 yuan on the way out. I think that's great value.
The best attraction for me was the Laozai mountain, it's located near the docks. I wrote a review on that, so I wont repeat myself. But I highly recommend going up, if you don't mind a bit of hiking.
If you have spare time, you can go across the river by boat and do some trekking. It costs 2 yuan each way. You can also go across by raft, but a couple I met told me that their raft ended up running away from the police, so maybe the boat is safer.
Once on the other side of the river, there are dirt roads that goes through the local villages. It was very peaceful, the view was great. I find it much more interesting than the old town. The only thing was that when I was there, it had just rained, so the road got very muddy, so expect to get your shoes dirty if it's wet.
I was talking to a local and apparently there's an old temple, and a 1500 years old tree (on the other side of the river). I didn't find them but maybe someone else would have more luck.
Written 12 November 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
alon a
58 contributions
Mar 2016 • Couples
We've spent 4 very active days around Yangshuo and the views around Xing Ping were by far the best (not to diminish from the other amazing spots along the Yulong).
We got to Xing Ping via bus from the south bus station in Yangshuo (45 min - 8 yuan). From there we walked along the villages all the way to Yang Di - around 5-6 hours of very moderate walk (19 km) with several breaks to enjoy the scenery. The walk requires 2-3 river crossings, the first one was straightforward (10 yuan). The second one, to Yangdi was more complicated for reasons we couldn't fathom. We had to wait until 1630 and only then the villageres agreed to carry us across for 50 yuan (longer crossing, bargain, we didn't). The bus from Yangdi back to Yangshuo took ~1hr (10 yuan). All in all a beautiful and fun day.
It's also possible to take a bamboo raft up or down the river. These are very noisy and I wouldn't recommend this option unless walking is not an option.
We got to Xing Ping via bus from the south bus station in Yangshuo (45 min - 8 yuan). From there we walked along the villages all the way to Yang Di - around 5-6 hours of very moderate walk (19 km) with several breaks to enjoy the scenery. The walk requires 2-3 river crossings, the first one was straightforward (10 yuan). The second one, to Yangdi was more complicated for reasons we couldn't fathom. We had to wait until 1630 and only then the villageres agreed to carry us across for 50 yuan (longer crossing, bargain, we didn't). The bus from Yangdi back to Yangshuo took ~1hr (10 yuan). All in all a beautiful and fun day.
It's also possible to take a bamboo raft up or down the river. These are very noisy and I wouldn't recommend this option unless walking is not an option.
Written 30 March 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KodoDrummer
Buenos Aires, Argentina70,604 contributions
Dec 2023 • Friends
Magnificent and spectacular views and fantastic December weather. This is a significant tourist attraction. Many of my colleagues have been here many times, as have I.
Written 28 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michael B
Yucca, AZ109 contributions
Jul 2019 • Solo
Am I the only one or do they have a bit of a racket going here. I thought I had done my research and was happy to see I could bypass the old slow transportations from Guilin to Yangshuo (bus and boat) and was prepared to walk from the high speed train station to my hotel. Until I started walking. A taxi stopped and insisted it was many, many kilometers, so I got in and paid 120 yuan to get to my hotel. When I returned a few days later, part of the racket- a bus driver in Yangshuo assured me they were going to the high speed train station, but took me to Xingping for 20 yuan and pointed out the place to buy a 5 yuan ticket to the train station. Buyer beware... and always give yourself time for sightseeing, whether you planned on it or not. I had time and it was a good learning experience. I still love Yangshuo!
Written 20 July 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Zwinky1
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia183 contributions
Nov 2018 • Couples
The old town is so pretty and quaint. Nice little cafés and food stalls are everywhere. We had lunch in a restaurant. The old town was vey crowded.
Written 26 November 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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