Yangshuo Bicycle Tour: Countryside & Rock Climbing

Covering a total length of 20 kilometers (12 miles), this one-day Yangshuo bike route will guide you to the countryside of Yangshuo and it also includes a challenging activity - rock climbing at the Tongmen Hill. You can rent a bike at CNY10.00 for one day with a deposit of CNY100.00 from either your hotel or a bike rental stall along the West Street.

Start from the West Street, you can ride southwards for 20 minutes along Kangzhan Road to Gongnong Bridge. Turn west at the northern end of the bridge and continue to ride for 1.5 kilometers (one mile) to Yangshuo Mountain Retreat. You will pass by the Yangshuo Resort on the way, whose buildings with steep roofs and upward eaves present the typical architectural features of Dong Nationality. You are suggested to get into the courtyard to enjoy its distinctive architectural style and take nice pictures.

The Mountain Retreat is just in front of the Yulong River, which is a good vantage point for viewing the steep-sided Yulong River Valley. You can also see many bamboo rafts floating on the river. After having lunch in the resort, take a bamboo raft to go across the river. You may also walk to the opposite bank in low water seasons.

Then move forward by bicycle for about 1,000 meters (1,100 yards) along the country road to reach Tongmen Hill. It is one of the famous rock climbing bases in Yangshuo. There are eight climbing routes on the hill, all of which have got a grade of climbing difficulty over 5.11b. It is a great choice for experienced climbers. Here you can meet rock-climbers from all over the world and challenge yourself by climbing to the top if you are interested. FYI, Yangshuo Climbing Festival has been held every autumn since 2008. It features bouldering competitions, training sessions, a music festival and food stalls and has attracted both domestic and international roack climbers.  

Afterwards, ride westwards for 500 meters (550 yards) to Fenglou Village and then head south towards the Jinbao River. Over here, you can take a short break at the riverside while enjoy the surrounding scenery. After that, go across the river and continue to go southwards for 600 meters (660 yards) onto the main road. You will find the Moon Hill Scenic Area a few yards to the south of the fork. There is a giant arch on the top of the hill, which looks just like a full moon hanging on the cliff, hence the name. If you want to enter the scenic area and climb up to the top to have a bird's eye view of Yangshuo's countryside, you need to pay the entrance fee at CNY11.00. Reaching the top arch is around a 40-minute climb. Alternatively, you may have an overlook of the Moon Hill in the village on the other side of the road.

After that, you can ride backwards along the main road for about 10 minutes to the Big Banyan Scenic Area. There is an old banyan tree planted over 1,500 years ago. This tree is also called Tree of Love, so lots of couples come here praying for a good future. If you want to have a close view of this big tree, you to pay the entrance fee at CNY15.00.