Trip of a Lifetime - Day 19 - Part 1

So much has happened today that I'm going to report it in two segments. I'll write about my feelings concerning the river today with a little history thrown in, and then my personal reflections on the things that followed the boat trip and what else happened today ... tomorrow. I have to rest once in a while ;-) The waterway from Guilin to Yangshuo is the Li River, decorated with rolling hills, steep cliffs, fantastic caves, leisurely boats and lined with bamboo which to the viewer is like enjoying a melodious symphony. Hanyu described the enchanting beauty of the Li River in his poem this way, "The River looks like a blue silk ribbon, and the mountains resemble emerald hairpins".
The poetic and picturesque Li River originates in Mountain Cat at Xinan county in the northeast of Guilin, passing through Guilin, Yangshuo to the outlet of Gongchen river in Pingle county. Along the river, the rolling peaks, steep cliffs, green hills and clear water make up a fascinating hundred-mile picture gallery. The crystal clear Li River is located amid limesstone peaks hung with waterfalls. Among poems singing the praise of its beauty are these lines: "He who travels in Guilin hills finds himself in a fairyland", and "He who sails along the Li River finds himself boating in a sweet dream."
The most beautiful scenes around Guilin are found along the Li River. The hills beyond hills with their reflections in the crystal water are like fairy land, the green bamboo greets you all the way along the river in the breeze; the water buffaloes eating grass casually; the ducks swimming along the river; the fisherman fishing or catnapping on the bamboo rafts with his cormorants resting peacefully next to him, it's God dotted landscape. "Serenity" is a word poet tried to describe, "story-book-mountains" and this is what children say about the hills. Maybe this is why I was so fascinated with this place as a child. I would spend hours looking at photographs of this enchanting place.

These landscapes are what Chinese artists have being trying to depict in their traditional paintings for thousands of years. But the natural beauty of the Li River is beyond any description, you have to be there to see with your own eyes and to feel with your own heart. My heart was literally singing while we were on that river. I don't know when I have felt such peace and happiness. I couldn't stop smiling.
Going downstream in our tourist boat, we enjoyed spectacular views of crowded towering peaks along the riverbanks, waterfalls suspended over forests of rocks, and their crashing sprays splashing upon jutting rocks. It was unbelievable.

I have put together a slide show that follows this post that doesn't begin to compare to the beauty of this place. Be sure and click on "View All Images" to be able to read the captions. I only hope that it will give you a small taste of the magnificence of this river and what I saw and felt when we were there.

Pcasso