Xingping Ancient Town & the ¥20 Note Viewpoint
The exact view printed on the back of the ¥20 note, plus a 1,000-year-old town most Li River cruisers sail straight past.
Duration
Half day (3-4 hours including transport)
Cost
Town free; ¥20 note viewpoint approx. ¥20-30 ($3-4); Yangdi-Xingping raft ¥216 ($30)
Hours
Town open all day; viewpoint path approx. 7:00-18:30
Booking
No booking needed
Xingping (兴坪 Xīngpíng) sits on a bend of the Li River (漓江 Lí Jiāng) about 25km upstream from Yangshuo, and it is where the most reproduced landscape in China actually is. Walk 20 minutes north from the old town along a riverside path to a low bluff, take a ¥20 note out of your wallet, and hold it up: the peaks on the banknote are directly in front of you, in the same order, from the same angle. It is a slightly absurd, genuinely satisfying tourist moment.
The viewpoint charges a small access fee at the platform, generally ¥20-30 ($3-4) depending on which of the competing terraces you use, and vendors sell water at ¥10 ($1.50) a bottle. You can also scramble down to the pebble beach and get much the same shot for free, with buffalo occasionally wandering into frame.
The town itself deserves the other half of your time. Xingping has been settled for over 1,300 years and the core streets still have Ming and Qing shopfronts, flagstone paving worn into hollows, drying chillies on doorsteps and a working fish market. Compared to West Street it is quiet, and compared to a cruise-boat deck it is real.
Getting there is easy and cheap: buses from Yangshuo bus station every 20 minutes or so, ¥8-10 ($1.10-1.40), 45-60 minutes. Alternatively take a small bamboo raft from Yangdi pier down to Xingping (around ¥216 / $30) — this covers the finest karst stretch of the river at water level.
Go in the afternoon. Mornings belong to the big cruise boats and their tour flags.
Practical tips
- Buses to Xingping leave Yangshuo bus station roughly every 20 minutes, take 45-60 minutes and cost ¥8-10 ($1.10-1.40).
- From Xingping's main street it is a 20-minute walk to the viewpoint; ignore the motorbike touts quoting ¥30 for the ride.
- Bring an actual ¥20 note for the comparison photo. Half the fun is holding it up in frame.
- The Yangdi (杨堤) to Xingping bamboo raft, around ¥216 ($30) per person, covers the most scenic Li River stretch and is a strong alternative to the big cruise boats.
- Late afternoon light is best on the peaks, and the tour groups have gone by 16:00.