Long Sheng Long Ji Rice Terraces 龙胜龙脊梯田

Today we going for day tour to visit LongJi rice terraces Long Sheng, 龙胜龙脊梯田, few hours drive from Gui Lin, we took tour package from tourism agent at Gui Lin, we survey few agent, compare on itinerary price, we choose the one optional to watch cultural performance at cultural village, long hair village, 瑶族长发表演, but even though we didn't watch that performance, that bus still stop at that village, and we need to wait whole bus of people, as we are the only one didn't join... we hang around the village, and visit those resident, is open for visit... not bad though, to experience their life... off course have to be caught by some sourvenior salesman, forgot if we bought any....

Different with Bali, you need to walk for some distance to reach viewing point, some photographer stay here few day to capture fantastic view... bit tough walk for some senior citizen, and there is service  provide to carry people up, with man power... 

We need to walk through a farmer village, and a lot is transform to restaurant, and hostel... we stop by this place for our lunch.... Famous local food is rice and chicken cooked in bamboo 龙脊竹筒饭, 土鸡... taste good... original....

 Finally come to highlight of the day.... bird view on rice terraces.... All the mountain and river seem so far for pass few day is gift of god... natural scenic... but this view is effort of men... used to be the one who try to avoid from wars that always happen at flat landscape... Less competition at the mountain become a heaven for those who love peace.... but they need more effort to turn these challenges into their opportunity... Determination and passion that we should learn... nothing is impossible...

A lot name for many spot... i didn't name all... In order to ensure attractiveness for tourism, government is subsiding and controlling harvesting timing of those paddy... especially during golden holiday of China, during first week of Oct, cause color of paddy that time suppose to be brown, or gold color... and right time for harvesting....

We go back to Gui Lin at evening, this will be last night for this trip, as farewell to Guilin, we choose this luxury restaurant for our dinner, at Ah Gan restaurant that we always walk pass for few days... order some new taste and food that we like at Gui Lin... Gui Lin is inland which far from sea... fish that we eat for few days is from river or lake... and the "structure" of bone is so special in Y shape.. need extra careful while eating... wonder if this is same issue for local chinese....

After dinner... we go for some walk... i back to City in garden, garden in city, to snap photo on this glass made bridge... with different lighting effect...

This should be the best shoot... a lot photographer is beside me that time....

Art underneath a bridge... with some cultural and historic introduction... this city is planned well....

[This is part of China Tour]

Gui Lin City 桂林 两江四湖

Today, we start our day from Gui Lin city, having breakfast at nearby Yong He 永和, we order soy milk and yiu tiao 豆浆油条, they have sour soy milk... and i order that to try... hehe... we like this place, and we come back here again next day....

Early morning, i took quick walk around hostel 九龙别墅酒店, near 中山中路，南门桥旁, well planned city, clean, and modern, yet, is identical... People here live in healthy and relax way... Maintaining unique way of traditional....

We visit Qing Wang Castle... 靖江王城, castle of one of the royal family... Once you enter here, with ticket, there will be tour guide to tour you around.... no photography allowed inside the building....

Behind the castle is a hill, which believed to be secure base, according to Feng Sui, source of the dynasty is inside this hole, only the one who rule the country will know exact location of "source".

We hike up to that mountain, according to feng sui, here is south of China, and believe that tail of dragon located here, Gui Lin city is inside the valley, and at the middle got one hill, that the reason emperor that time send his prince to build castle here...

After walk out from castle, we heading toward modern part of Gui Lin city, there is a nice walking street... and we walk around here for shopping and window shopping...

We stop by somewhere for lunch, those char siew really big... guilin really famous for guilin bihun 桂林米粉

In order to make this city clean, less carbon, less noise... only electric motorcycles allowed in this city... so you can see this station every where... 

This booth is promoting package for wedding photography... see clearly... that is one the trend at Gui Lin now....

Beside modern building, Gui Lin city is a city in garden, 2 river and 4 lake decorating this city nicely.... 两江四湖... Twin pagoda is main attraction in this garden... 双塔映月... Nice garden for day and night view....

We have our dinner at one seafood restaurant... we request taxi driver send us to food street... and they bring us here... this shop is so called one of the food street... feel a bit cheated... but just try la... but not really recommended this... hehe... after that only know place we want to go is 西街美食街。。。

After that, we go back to garden again, to watch the performance of man made water fall.... 漓江大瀑布饭店观赏九天银河...

[This is part of China Tour]

Yang Shuo Li Jiang 阳朔 漓江

Early morning, we come to West Street again, not much tourist yet, we found a place for breakfast, is in front store where we have our lunch at first day... you char guai, soya milk, xiao long bao... not much local people come to eat here...

Today we come water rafting at Li Jiang, 漓江竹筏漂流, mountain here is near to river, and bigger... compare with yesterday, mountain is far from river and less... Is another half day rafting...
If you don't know how to appreciate these scene... try to imagine those mountain is look like something...
三分神似，七分想象。。。

One of the scene here is taken as design of RMB20 notes...

Li Jiang is the best place for scenic view of hill, mountain and river... And these remind my trip to Milford Sound....

After 5 hours rafting... no more 农家饭, we request driver to bring us try Gui Lin bi hun... we come to this shop... Chain shop serving traditional Gui Lin Bihun... fair price, clean and a lot local people eat here... recommend to try...

After lunch, we suppose depart to Gui Lin city, we stop by this place for 1.5hour visit... 世外桃源

Basically is another commercial place for tourism spot... If want to choose only one cultural village to visit, i recommended this one, at least more effort done here...

Nice building and courtyard....

Great invention of China to start printing technology... and winery...

Nice view from 世外桃源, i think in English called Shangri La....

[This is part of China Tour]

Yang Shuo 阳朔 遇龙河

Typical breakfast, porridge with meat, sweet and sour....

遇龙河漂流 water rafting at Yu Long He... to enjoy scenic view of mountain and river...

 Flow is not so aggressive that suitable to bring your parent there...

 Except this one... when you can not control, you trust your driver....

 Traditional way of fishing... that bird can not swallow fish directly, you can it's neck is tighten by that guy...

Right after water rafting for whole morning... having lunch at riverside... a lot farmer here running restaurant with local farmer food, name as 农家饭 you can see every where, good for experience but don't expect good price, is even more expensive than lunch we have at West Street...

图腾古道, cultural village, but i don't think is original.... very commercial... i think we come out with an hour...

大榕树, giant rong shu which become tourism spot... entrance fee required... there is some cultural exhibition for visit as well...

Beside here is place where famous country song singer stay... Liu San Jie... 刘三姐故居.. first time to walk across the river, that suppose to be dam plus bridge...

Place famous with mountain must have a nice cave... and this is one of the best i ever visit.. Ying Zi Yuan. 银子岩, one of the biggest and newest to be discovered, which mean is less polluted or sabotage...

 Art of god... Art of nature...

Art which take years to complete...

Can you see mountain with half moon? 月亮山, you can see this with just a turn out from main road... no ticket required, but someone is decorating stages to charge for photography... i didn't take that...

Our dinner is 谢大姐啤酒鱼, beer fish... at a very nice restaurant... our most expensive dinner for this trip...  Again, is good to try... Never taste it here...

After dinner, we go to West Street to shopping again... 夜游西街。。。

[This is part of China Tour]

Gui Lin - Yang Shuo 桂林 阳朔

Lee Shia initiated a family trip to Guilin, a place famous with nice landscape of mountain and river....
We did transportation arrangement with Mr Ma from 沙鸥居客栈.

Upon arriving, driver is there to wait for us, and our transport for coming few days is this mini van, they call it 面包车。。。桂林山水甲天下，阳朔山水甲桂林, so we are heading to Yang Shuo directly...

Having our first lunch at Yang Shuo, Lao Jia Xiang Earthenware Pot Food... so many 田螺to eat... very common here... Located at walking street near our hostel.

Raining while we check in at 沙鸥居客栈, we walk to 西街步行街。。。

Walk from end of the street to beginning of street. Not much people at day time, and raining...

Scene of mountain and river from walking street... this is yet the best...

First activity is going to watch performance, "Imagine Liu Shan Jie" 印象刘三姐. 160RMB per person, including transportation...

Stage of performance... Natural mountain and river... Same director who compose opening ceremony of BeiJing 2008. 

One of the best cultural performance i ever watch... worth for money... please don't buy 山寨版 ticket, you will not feel impressed is view from wrong direction... My 17-50mm lens not able to take much photo in low light condition... so i just... enjoy the show... not much photo to show on this and end our 1st day of trip....

[This is part of China Tour]