Guilin, long celebrated for the saying “Guilin’s scenery is the finest under heaven,” is one of China’s most renowned scenic areas. Traveling from Yangshuo to downtown Guilin, you’ll notice that the city’s landscape isn’t quite as captivating as Yangshuo’s. However, there is a unique tourist activity exclusive to Guilin—the Night Tour of the Two Rivers and Four Lakes—which is arguably the best way to experience the dazzling beauty of Guilin at night. The Two Rivers and Four Lakes refer to the Li River and Peach Blossom River, along with Mulong Lake, Ronghu Lake, Shanhu Lake, and Guihu Lake within the urban area. This scenic complex combines natural landscapes with rich cultural attractions and is rated as a 5A-level tourist site.
When purchasing tickets, you need to select your specific sailing schedule in advance. Our boat departed from Wenchang Bridge Wharf and arrived at Elephant Trunk Hill Fisherman’s Wharf; there is also a reverse route available. Overall, tickets are quite in demand. Currently, it seems only luxury cruise boats are offered. Although surrounded by glass windows, ventilation is poor, making the cabin rather stuffy and hot. The interior is also extremely crowded, which posed significant risks during the pandemic. Additionally, passengers are not allowed to go out onto the deck while cruising along the river sections. Since there is a difference in water levels between the rivers and lakes—and river levels vary depending on the time—boats must be raised or lowered via ship lifts. This part of the journey is actually quite an interesting experience.
The main sights along the route include Elephant Trunk Hill, the Sun and Moon Twin Pagodas, Diecai Hill, and Songcheng. You will also pass under numerous bridges, and there are specially arranged local folk performances midway through the tour, such as traditional fishing lights on the water and water-screen video shows. The entire night tour lasts approximately 1.5 hours. Unfortunately, our boat got stuck while passing through the second lock, so our trip took a bit longer… A guide onboard provides commentary during the first half of the journey, and there’s also a photographer offering to take pictures for everyone at a fixed price of 30 yuan per photo. However, our photographer encountered technical issues and ultimately failed to transmit the photos back to headquarters, missing out on any earnings…
All things considered, given the onboard experience and ticket price, I feel the value for money isn’t particularly high—especially since you have no control over other passengers’ behavior. If you happen to encounter a bunch of unruly kids or intoxicated travelers, it can turn into a nightmare. During the Four Lakes section, I stayed entirely on the deck, which was significantly more enjoyable than being inside the cabin. Moreover, many of these attractions are free to visit on their own, so if you’re up for it, exploring them independently on foot could be a great alternative…
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