If I discovered paradise in China, it’d be in Guilin. This mountainous wonderland should be experienced by anyone who travels to China. The peaked mountains, the lush greenery, the cozy cafes, the obvious souvenir tourist traps, it’s just great. We spent just 3 days in Guilin, specifically Yongshua, which is the most touristy part of the city.

 Yongshua is China without feeling like China. The architecture, the beauty, the people, and the atmosphere is China. The prevalence of English & Western food, the shopping prices, and hostels & backpacker bars is not China. But it was a nice way to end our trip.

We saw a beautiful evening light & dance show on the river, which was choreographed by the same guy that did the opening ceremony for the Beijing Olympics! We took a boat ride down the beautiful Li River, which is famous for it’s portrait on the 20 yuan bill. It was a part of China that I’ll never forget.