There are two kinds of limestone scenery around Guilin, and the difference is the key to understanding what you see. Fenglin, or peak forest, is a plain studded with isolated towers, each standing alone like a tree in a clearing. Fengcong, or peak cluster, is where the towers are joined at the base, forming rows and clumps of hills with deep hollows between them. The section along the Li River south of Guilin, down towards Yangshuo, has mostly the clustered kind, and the stretch where the river threads through them is the most famous landscape in China.
The science is simple and the result is spectacular. Limestone dissolves slowly in rainwater, which is slightly acidic, and in a warm, wet climate the process is fast. Over millions of years, water has carved channels, caves and sinkholes into the rock, leaving the steepest and most resistant parts standing as towers. In south China, the monsoon climate and a thick sandy layer of rock have produced some of the most extreme examples in the world, and in 2007 UNESCO listed the area, as part of the South China Karst, for its outstanding natural value.
At Xingping, on the river, the hills line up in a row against the sky, and the view across the water from a particular shoal was once printed on the back of the twenty yuan note. Fishermen on bamboo rafts still work the river, with cormorants perched on the prow, though now they perform for tourists as much as for fish. Water buffalo stand in the shallows, and mist rises from the river in the early morning, wrapping the peaks in silver. The best time for the view is dawn or late afternoon.
Yangshuo, about twenty-six kilometres away, is the main town of the area, with fuel stations, cafes and hotels, and the country around is a patchwork of rice fields, bamboo groves and orange orchards. Visitors who want to ride in China should check the rules on licences and registration, which are strict and change often. Spring and autumn are the best seasons, and the weather is unpredictable, with fog and rain between October and April, and humid heat in summer. Try beer fish, a local dish of river fish cooked with beer and tomatoes.