About This Guide
Independent, honest, and built for travelers who want real information — not tour agency marketing.
Why This Guide Exists
Most Guilin Yangshuo guides are written by tour agencies trying to sell you something, or by bloggers who spent two days here five years ago and wrote a listicle. We wanted something different: a guide for independent travelers who want honest, practical, up-to-date information without the sales pitch.
This guide doesn't accept sponsored content, free trips, or paid placements. If we recommend a place — a hotel, a restaurant, a route — it's because we genuinely think it's good, not because someone paid us to say so. We don't run ads, we don't sell tours, and we're not affiliated with any travel agency or hotel group.
Who We Are
We're a small team of travel writers and researchers who have spent years exploring China — not just the highlights, but the side streets, the local noodle shops, the guesthouses that don't show up on Booking.com. Between us, we've collectively spent over two years living and traveling in the Guilin-Yangshuo region, and we return regularly to verify information and discover what's changed.
Our contributors have backgrounds in journalism, travel writing, and Chinese language study. We're not "influencers" chasing views or affiliate commissions. We're people who genuinely love this landscape and want other travelers to experience it well.
How We Research
On-the-Ground Verification
Every page is based on on-the-ground experience — we've spent months exploring Guilin, Yangshuo, and the surrounding countryside on bikes, on bamboo rafts, on foot, and over many bowls of rice noodles. Prices are verified regularly. Routes are walked. Restaurants are eaten at (repeatedly). We don't write about a place we haven't been to.
Price Accuracy
All prices in this guide were verified in 2026. We check prices every 6 months — ticket offices, hotel rates, restaurant menus, transport fares. If you find a price that's off, tell us and we'll fix it within a week.
No Sponsored Content
We have never accepted payment for a recommendation and never will. If a restaurant, hotel, or tour operator offers us a free meal or stay in exchange for a review, we decline. Our editorial independence is the entire point of this guide.
What We Cover
This isn't just a destination guide. We cover the stuff that actually stresses people out about visiting China:
- Visa applications — who needs one, how to apply, transit options
- Mobile payment setup — Alipay and WeChat Pay for foreigners
- Internet access — eSIMs, VPNs, and staying connected
- Train booking — 12306, Trip.com, and ticket classes
- Language barriers — essential phrases with audio
- Food — what to eat, where, and how to order
Because knowing how to find Moon Hill doesn't help if you can't get online or pay for your lunch.
Editorial Standards
Accuracy
We fact-check every page before publication. When regulations change (as they frequently do in China — visa rules, VPN availability, app functionality), we update within 48 hours. The "Last Updated" date at the bottom of each page shows when it was last revised.
Honesty
If something is overrated, we say so. If West Street is touristy and overpriced, we tell you — and then tell you which side street has the real food. If a "must-see" attraction is skippable, we explain why. We'd rather you have a great trip than hit every checkbox on a generic itinerary.
Original Research
We don't rewrite other people's blog posts. Every route, recommendation, and price in this guide comes from our own first-hand experience or from trusted local contacts who live in the region year-round.
How to Use This Guide
Start with the 3-day itinerary — it covers the essential Guilin-to-Yangshuo experience. Then branch into specific interests: Li River cruise details, cycling routes, food recommendations, or visa logistics. Use the interactive trip builder to plan a multi-city China route, and the cost calculator to estimate your budget.
The guide is designed to be read in any order — each page stands alone, but links to related content when you want to go deeper.
Contact
Found something outdated? Have a tip we should include? Notice a restaurant that closed or a ticket price that changed? We'd love to hear from you. Your ground-level reports help keep this guide useful for everyone.
Email: hello@guilin-yangshuo.com
We respond to every email, usually within 48 hours. Corrections submitted with photos or receipts get priority.