Guilin is a picturesque city, aft-lauded as “The Best Landscapes under the Heaven”. The city is surrounded by rivers and lakes, and dotted with karst hills, a cityscape typical of a mesmerizing Chinese painting.
Daxu Ancient Town (Daxuzhen)
But Guilin’s fame doesn’t totally rely on its natural beauty, it also boasts several sites of historical importance and cultural value. Daxu Ancient Town (大圩古镇) is one of them, which used to be off-beaten path. Now Daxu Ancient Town has become a popular travel destination which attracts those who are interested in Chinese history, traditional buildings and culture.
So if you are planning Guilin tour, you may consider adding Daxu Ancient Town on your Guilin travel schedule. Basically a return side trip to Daxu Ancient Town from Guilin city center takes about 3-4 hours. It is located about 19 km southeast of Guilin city center.
Daxu Town Road Map recognized as “Daxuzhe” by Google Map
“Daxu” literally means “a big market”. Daxu Ancient Town used to be one of the four ancient market towns in Guangxi Province. The ancient town developed from Song Dynasty ( 960 -1279), prospered in Ming and Qing dynasties ( 1368 -1911) and reached its peak during Republic Era of China ( 1912 – 1949 ).
Daxu Ancient Town’s only street runs along Li River for 2 km (on the east bank of the river), flanked by traditional one- and two-story wooden houses. Walking on the stone-flagged street brings you back to the past when it was a busy trade and market town. Today, the town is well-preserved and still inhabited by the locals from generation to generation.
How to Get to Daxuzhen (Daxu Town)
Take the public bus No.306 and get off at the last stop – Daxu Square ( 大圩广场). At Guilin, basically you have several places to get on the Bus 306, such as Guilin North Railway Station, Guilin East Railway Station and Public Tansport Donghua Station (公交东环车场 – 公交站).
Actually the Bus 306 is operated by Lingchuan County where Daxu Town is located, and the 306 bus line goes from Lingchuan General Bus Station, passing through the city of Guilin along over stops, than back to Daxu Town. So theoretically you have more than 10 bus stops on the way in Guilin for your bus ride to Daxu Town on the Bus Line 306. The Bus Line 306 totally have 52 stops and Daxu Square is the last bus stop – the 52th stop.
Guilin to Daxu Old Town Bus 306 ( Image Credit: gx.sina.cn )
The earliest departure from Guilin is 6:30, and the latest return from Daxu Town is 18:30. Be ready for small amount of cash in coins or notes for the bus tickets.
No entrance fee. Address: 250 Linjiang Road, Lingchuan County, Guilin Tel: 0773-2880180
Virtual Tour of Daxu Ancient Town
Now follow me to have a glimpse of the ancient town.
The ancient town attracts more and more foreign tourists nowadays and I happen to meet some of them, a busload of tourists from Spain.
a busload of tourists from Spain.
They are talking and laughing, every much intrigued by the ancient Chinese houses and handicrafts.
every much intrigued by the ancient Chinese houses and handicrafts .
The large original stone paved street tells us a historical past.
The large original stone paved street tells us a historical past
The two-story wooden house has ornate wood carvings and western style of handrails.
The two-story wooden house has ornate wood carvings
You will see some local food culture, herbal medicine and crafts arts are still preserved till today like distillery, bamboo craft and many more.
The traditional distillery
It is a leisurely place. Most of the inhabitants are seniors and kids with doors open, living an easy and slow pace of life.
living an easy and slow pace of life.
The Longevity Bridge is a single arch stone bridge, originally built in Ming Dynasty and rebuilt in 1899. The bridge is firm with many stone steps at the confluence of Li River and Ma River.
The Longivity Bridge is a single arch stone bridge
The 2 km stone flagged and cobbled street is interesting for a two-hour stroll, immersing yourself into the traditional Chinese life – its historical culture and traditional buildings.
The 2 km stone flagged and cobbled street is interesting for a two-hour stroll,
There used to be 13 docks along the street on the water edge at its peaks when it served as the local trade and commercial hub. Today, you can see some of them alive with water transportation and bamboo rafting activities.
There used to be 13 docks along the street on the water edge
Tip: Hassle-free Guilin Guided Tours
If you don’t want to do a self-guided tour and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours, here are some options for organized tours to Guilin:
“Shili” literally means “10 li” in Chinese. The “li” is known as Chinese mile, a traditional Chinese unit of distance. Now one “li” is equal to half a kilometre.
Shili Scenery Gallery Road Map (Google)
The Shili Scenery Gallery in Yangshuo (阳朔十里画廊) metaphysically refers to the mesmerizing 6km-long road starting from the southern end of Kangzhan Road (抗战路) in downtown Yangshuo to Moon Hill in Gaotianzhen ( Gaotian Town) in Yangshuo.
Origin of Shili Scenery Gallery in Yangshuo
When President Carter of the United States came to Visit Yangshuo, he learned from the bodyguards there was a charming road flanked with many small beautiful scenes they saw passing by in a flash by car. After hearing this, Carter temporarily put forward to the reception staff to change the tour plan, borrowing a few bicycles and roaming the present day ” The Shili Scenery Gallery in Yangshuo” (actually the metaphoric name was coined after Carter’s visit).
To this end, the government in 2000 specially built a nearly 10 li (just meaning a long distance) of bicycle path, viewing platforms, rest pavilions, etc., for tourists to freely enjoy the scenery along the way.
The locals call it the Carter Scenic Path. The 6km scenic road is flanked by idyllic fields, weird caves, undulating karst hills, the charming Yulong River, old Banyan trees, ancient villages, and seasonal flowers, presenting a picturesque corridor which is gradually dubbed as “Shili Scenery Gallery ” or “Ten-Mile Gallery” you just name it as li and mile here don’t mean the exact distance, just a metaphor.
How to Visit Shili Scenery Gallery in Yangshuo
No entry fee for the bucolic sightseeing country road. But there are around 10 yuan for each pay attraction along the scenic corridor. These attraction sites are the result of the years’ investment and tourist development by the local governments all levels and private sectors as well.
The Ten-Mile Scenery Gallery has been a bit overdeveloped in recent years with too many tourist groups flocking here by bus during the tourist high season, especially during summer vacation in July and August. Though the tourist buses may line up closely along the scenic road, it is still worth experiencing the idyllic charm that permeates the whole gallery.
If you are going to visit Yangshuo on your Guilin tour, spend 2 or 3 hours to feel and touch the sightseeing Shili Scenery Gallery. You may cycle or even walk along the Shili Scenery Gallery. Bikes are available all over Yangshuo with a small amout of 10 yuan.
Virtual Tour of Ten-Mile Scenery Gallery in Yangshuo
Follow me to feel the Shili Scenery Gallery.
Cycling and Viewing
Biking along Shili Scenery Gallery
Mother and son
Mother and Son
Father and son
Cycling through the idyllic country road
Bike along the green belt.
Karst Hills and Lotus Flower
Karst Hills and Lotus.
Karst Hill and yellow Flower
Hills and Flowers
Bike in spite of scorching sun
Biking inspite of the scorching sun
Yulong River
Yulong River
Stop and take pictures
Stop and take pictures
Cycling on and on
Cycling on and on
Shili Scenery Gallery and Yulong River Comb Day Trip
Note: You can combine your trip to Shili Scenery Gallery in Yangshuo with the bamboo rafting on Yulong River. Yulong River (遇龙河), about 7 km southwest of Yangshuo, is the largest tributary of Li River with a total length of 16 km starting from Jinlong Bridge and Yulong Bridge, ends at Gongnong Bridge, and emptying itself into Li River.
The scenery along Yulong River is breathtaking. Yulong River is often regarded as a smaller and quieter Li River.
Location of Yulong River and Shili Scenery Gallery
Tip: Hassle-free Guilin Guided Tours
If you don’t want to do a self-guided tour and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours, here are some options for organized tours to Guilin:
We’d like to have the following quick guide to be always updated for the benefit of new visitors visiting Longji Rice Terraces from Guilin. If anybody having used the piece finds necessary updates, please leave a message or feedback. Thanks!
with their ticketing office building located about 1km to the south of Heping Town (和平乡), about 14 km to the southeast of Longsheng County (龙胜), 76km to the north of Guilin city proper (桂林) and 146km to the northwest of Yangshuo (阳朔).
Longji Rice Terrace Scenic Spot
Plan your Guilin tour? Longji Rice Terrace (龙脊梯田), literally “Dragon’s Backbone Terraced Paddy Fields”, is a large scenic area. Officially known as Longji Rice Terrace Scenic Spot (龙脊梯田风景名胜区), it encompasses five natural villages – Dazhai Village (大寨) & Tiantouzhai Village (田头寨) (both Yao minority villages), Ping’An Zhuang Minority Village (平安寨), the Ancient Zhuang Minority Village (龙脊古壮寨）and Huangluohong Yao Minority Village (黄洛红瑶寨).
Longji Rice Terrace Scenic Spot mainly refers to the rice terraces in the three forest-fringed villages – Ping’An Village (平安寨), Dazhai Village (大寨) and Tiantouzhai Village ( 田头寨).
Longji Rice Terrace Scenic Spot Address: Longsheng County, Guilin City, Guangxi, China Tel: 0773-7583188 Official Website: http://longjitour.com
Ping’Ancun Village (平安寨)
Ping’Ancun Village is 18km to the northeast of the Longji Rice Terrace Ticketing Office ( Also the Bus Station and Parking Lot for Longji).
Dazhaicun Village (大寨) & Tiantouzhai Village ( 田头寨)
Dazhaicun Village and Tiantouzhai Village are 24 km to the northeast of the Longji Ticketing Office Building. Tiantouzhai is located on the hillsides above Dazhai Village. Both the two villages are roughly in the same area.
Longji Rice Terrace Scenic Spot Ticket Office
Longji Rice Terrace Scenic Spot Ticket Office is located about 1km to the south of Hepingxian (和平乡), about 14 km to the southeast of Longsheng County (龙胜), 76km to the north of Guilin city proper (桂林) and 159km to the northwest of Yangshuo (阳朔).
76km to the north of Guilin and 159km to the northwest of Yangshuo (Google)
1km to the south of Hepingxian about 14 km to the southeast of Longsheng (Google)
Entrance Tickets
Adult ticket :80 RMB; Group ticket (more than 20 people):75 RMB; Scenic spot shuttle bus for group travellers (inside the scenic area) : 40 RMB; Local public Bus for individual travellers: 40 RMB Huangluo Yao Village Song and dance :80 RMB; Jinkeng Sightseeing Cable Car : RMB 100 round-trip/RMB 55 one-way Open all year round.
Longji Rice Terrace ticketing office building
Ticketing Counter for Individual Travellers at Longji Rice Terraces
The tourist service complex designed for Longji Rice Terrace Scenic Spot includes the ticketing office, bus station, toilets and other facilities.
How to get to the Longji Rice Terrace Ticketing Office from Guilin?
There are daily buses directly getting to the Longji Ticketing Office Building from Guilin Qintan Bus Station and Guilin North Bus Station(76km)
There are three main bus stations in Guilin:
1) Guilin Qintan Bus Station 桂林琴谭汽车站 Add: 31 Cuizhu Road, Guilin 翠竹路31号 Tel: (0773)3832703 Departures ( to Longji ): 7:00-19:00 (every 15 minutes ); 25 yuan
2)Guilin North Bus Station 桂林汽车北站 Add: 76 Beichen Road, Guilin北辰路76号 Departures (to Longji ): only 4 daily 8:25/11:40/13:40/17:20
3)Guilin South Bus Station 桂林汽车南站 No departure for Longji Add: West of Kaifeng Road, Guilin 凯风路西侧
How to get to Ping’An Village, Dazhai Village and Tiantouzhai Village from the Ticketing Office?
If you take a public bus from Guilin to the ticketing office in Longji, you need to change for a local public bus to go further to each of the villages after you purchase your entry ticket.
If you take a car or van ( less than 9 seats ) to get to Longji Terrace, you can directly drive to each village. But you still need to purchase your ticket at the center before you go to each village.
At present, the official shuttle buses in Longji Rice Terrace Scenic Area are only designed for tourist groups instead of individual tourists. For those who come here organised by a travel agent need to purchase a 40-yuan bus ticket for the shuttle service shuttling from the ticketing office to Ping’An, Daizhai and Tiantouzhai.
It seems Longji Rice Terrace is not an individual tourist-friendly place where as an independent traveler, you are not allowed to use the shuttle service starting from the ticketing office. Instead, you have to take the local public buses outside the ticketing office to Ping’An (18km), or further to Dazhai and Tiantouzhai (24km).
It is an hourly bus ride with the bus fare at 40 yuan, a return ticket and valid for multi-days. So keep your bus ticket for a return trip from the villages back to the ticketing office.
All the local public buses come from Longsheng, on to Hepingxian Town and the ticketing office, so your bus ticket is also valid between the villages and Heping Town, or Longsheng. That means you are able to take bus to the villages directly from Heping Town or Longsheng as well as the Longji Ticketing Office.
Visit Ping’Ancun Village, or Dazhaicun Village and Tiantouzhai Village?
For a day tripper from Guilin or Yangshuo, people don’t have enough time to cover the three villages and have to make a choice between Ping’An Village, and Dazhai & Tiantouzhai villages due to the limited time since each village involves 2-3 hour hiking. Ping’An Village is about 19km away from Dazhai Village & Tiantouzhai Village.
So choose Ping’An Village, or its competitors Dazhai Village and Tiantouzhai Village? Ping’An Rice Terrace area often represents Longji Rice Terraces since Ping’Ancun Village was the first village in the scenic area developing rice terrace sightseeing tourism while Dazhai and Tiantouzhai are newcomers, beautiful competitors in a less touristy area.
Personally I highly recommend visiting Dazhai & Tiantouzhai since they have a much larger area put together of terraced paddy fields with more photogenic views. The upside is that they have a long cable car lifting you to the top of the mountain for a panoramic view of the terraced fields if you don’t have strong legs for hiking.
How to Visit Dazhaicun (大寨）& Tiantouzhai (田头寨)
There is the same parking area and entrance to the two villages with Tiantouzhai Village perched on the hillsides and Dazhai Village at the foot of the hills. There are three high viewing platforms in the area – Platform No. 1, No 2 and No. 3.
Dazhaicun Village and Tiantouzhai Village 24 km to the northeast of the Longji Ticketing Office Building.
You may hike from Dazhaicun to No.02 Platform in Tiantouzhai and up to the No.01 Platform on the summit. The Platform No.03 can be reached by the cable car service starting from the parking lot and by the entrance. Cable car: 55 yuan single and 100 return tickets.
Dazhaicun Village (大寨）& Tiantouzhai Village (田头寨)
For a fast glimpse of the massive terrace rice fields, you may take the cable car up to the Viewing Platform No.03. For hiking lovers, you may hike up from Dazhai Village along the trails with English signposts.
The time hiking up to No.01 and No.2, then back to the entrance takes about 4-5 hours. The last return bus from Dazhai to the ticketing office or Longsheng leaves at 5:30 pm. So carefully schedule your travel time for a day trip to Longji.
Follow me to have a virtual tour of Dazhaicun Village and Tiantoucun Village.
The Parking Area by the entrance to Dazhaicun Village and the Cable Car Station.
The Parking Area at Dazhai Village Longji
Take the cable car up the Viewing Platform for a bird’s-eye’s view of the magnificent terraced paddy fields.
Take the cable car at Longji Terraced Paddy Fields
The Dazhai Village and the surrounding rice terraces viewed from the Platform No.03.
The Dazhai Village and the surrounding rice terraces
A close-up view of the rice terraces.
close-up view of the rice terraces
The bird’s-eye view of the rice terraces from Panorama House Hotel higher on the mountain.
The bird’s-eye view of the rice terraces from Panorama House Hotel
The Viewing platform No.01 is the best place in Longji to see the sunrise.
The Sunrise at Longji
The sunrise over the terraced rice fields viewed from the Platform No.01.
Longji Rice Terraces Viewed from Platform No.01
The terraced paddy fields known as “Seven Star flying to the Moon”.
Seven Stars flying to the Moon
The “the Thousand Terraces of the rice fields ” viewed from the Platform No.02
the Thousand Terraces of the rice fields
Recommended Hotels 1) Dragon’Den Hostel (大寨青年旅社): Tel: 0773 – 7585780 Located in Dazhai Village 2) Meijing Lou (美景楼): Tel: 0773 7585678 Located in Tiantouzhai Village Panorama House Hotel (全景楼大酒店): On the summit of the mountain Tel: 0773 – 7585688
How to Visit Ping’An (平安村)?
Many individual trippers favor Ping’Ancun Village simply because it is closer to the ticketing office, saving time and another factor is Ping’An is more developed with better catering service and it is learned that even some foreigners run a bar restaurant there.
Ping’Ancun Village 18km to the northeast of the Longji Rice Terrace Ticketing Office (Google)
There are two Viewing Platforms – from the No.01 Platform you can catch the stunning view of the so-called “Nine Dragons and Five Tigers”, a metaphor vividly depicting the terraced paddy fields resembling dragons and tigers; from the No.02 Platform you ‘ll see ” Seven Stars Accompany the Moon” that refers the seven high terraced platform and the watered platform that resembles the Moon, a fantastic view.
The view of “Nine Dragons and Five Tigers ” at Ping’An Village
Every year, the end of May and the beginning of June are the good season for viewing the terraces filled with water, when the terraces seem to be a layer of mirror.
The end of July and the beginning of August are all green. The end of September and the beginning of October are good time for viewing the golden yellow terraces.
Tip: Hassle-free Guilin Guided Tours
If you don’t want to do a self-guided tour and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours, here are some options for organized tours to Guilin:
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