Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine September 2016 | Page 91

Travel | Guilin

89

© Helminadia Ranford; © Thomas Bächinger / Flickr

Reed Flute Cave in the countryside
near Guilin.

5 Senses – Sight
IMPRESSION LIGHT
SHOW

much of its character, especially in the evenings
when the last of the tour coaches has vanished.
It has narrow flag-stoned streets and sturdy
stone houses.
Running since 2004 and still
attracting rave reviews, the soundand-light show Impressien Liu Sanjie
uses the Li River and Yangshou’s
surrounding karst mountains as
a spectacular natural backdrop for
a traditional Chinese love story
enacted on an epic scale by a cast
of 600 locals. The show was created
by acclaimed movie director Zhang
Yimou, also responsible for the Beijing
Olympics’ opening and closing
ceremonies. The lighting, dance,
music and costuming are all
magnificent. www.yxlsj.comw
Diadakan sejak 2004 dan hingga
kini masih mendapat sambutan
hangat, pertunjukan cahaya dan
suara “Impression Liu Sanjie”
memanfaatkan Sungai Li dan
pegunungan kapur Yangshou sebagai
latar belakang alami yang spektakuler
untuk menampilkan sebuah kisah
cinta tradisional Tiongkok dalam
skala besar oleh 600 pemeran lokal.
Acara ini dibuat oleh sutradara film
terkenal Zhang Yimou, yang juga
pernah menjadi penanggung jawab
upacara pembukaan dan penutupan
Olimpiade Beijing. Tata lampu, tari,
musik dan kostumnya, semua megah.

Down by the river in the evenings, you can
watch cormorant fishermen (admittedly closer
to tourist entertainers these days) as they set
off in flat-bottomed bamboo rafts, propelled
against the current with long poles. The
fishermen use a unique local method of fishing
using cormorants. The large black birds catch
fish lured towards the rafts by lamps; a string
around the birds’ necks prevents them from
swallowing the catch, though the cormorants
do get the occasional reward for their efforts.
“The scenery of Guilin is the finest in the
world,” goes an old Chinese saying, “but the
scenery of Yangshuo is the best in Guilin.” Here
you’re right amid the hills, which indeed
mushroom up from inside the village itself.
Many roads and dirt paths lead from town into
the surrounding countryside, making for ideal
walking or, better still, cycling. Bicycles can be
rented cheaply by the day from most hotels.
Nearby Moon Hill, which has a hole straight
through it in the shape of a crescent, is an easy
pedal from town that won’t take much more
than an hour. Once there, it’s a steep climb to
the summit, but you’ll be rewarded by a truly
magnificent view of the surrounding karst
piles and lush green valleys, marked by
meandering rivers and compact village roofs.
Another popular trip is the 45-minute boat
ride to the village of Fuli, a short distance
further down the Li River. It has an almost

medieval air and an interesting Friday market,
with farmers coming in from the surrounding
valleys to trade pink piglets in wicker baskets,
sugarcane and bundles of tobacco leaves. In the
fields, oxen loom like prehistoric creatures
armoured in dried mud. A very good way of
making the round trip is to bring your bicycle
with you on the boat and cycle back to
Yangshuo in the cool of late afternoon.
More adventurous travellers can pick a path
and cycle anywhere they choose. It’s possible
to stay overnight in outlying villages, though
accommodation is generally basic. North of
Yangshuo lies the town of Xingping, around
which the scenery just seems to get better
and better. When you eventually head back
to urban realities, you can’t help feeling
you’re leaving somewhere special, and you
begin to wonder whether, after all,
you were only dreaming.