What's on in Yangshuo (Li River), China through the year

Busy — Winter break (around Chinese New Year) in China, school holidays in 5 of the markets that fill it

• Holiday

  Spring Festival

  15–23 FebLunar New YearCrowded

  West Street is packed with domestic visitors and priced accordingly, while a good share of the guesthouses out in the villages simply close for the family week. Source ↗

Still on: Climbing season (1 Oct – 31 Mar)

Peak crowds — Spring Festival, Winter break (around Chinese New Year) in China

Nothing new starts in February.

Still on: Spring Festival (15–23 Feb), Climbing season (1 Oct – 31 Mar)

Shoulder season — school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in March.

Still on: Climbing season (1 Oct – 31 Mar)

Shoulder season — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

• Season

  The heavy months

  15 Apr – 31 Aug · usuallyMonsoonRisk

  Guangxi's rain lands between April and August, May heaviest. The karst is greener and the river fuller for it, and the climbing is effectively off until the limestone dries.

Shoulder season — school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in May.

Still on: The heavy months (15 Apr – 31 Aug (usually))

Quiet — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

Nothing new starts in June.

Still on: The heavy months (15 Apr – 31 Aug (usually))

Busy — Summer break in China, school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in July.

Still on: The heavy months (15 Apr – 31 Aug (usually))

Busy — Summer break in China, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in August.

Still on: The heavy months (15 Apr – 31 Aug (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

• Nature

  Rice harvest in the valleys

  20 Sep – 20 Oct · usually

  The paddies between the karst turn gold and get cut by hand through October. It is the month the bike routes out to Yulong River look like the paintings.

Peak crowds — National Day Golden Week, National Day Golden Week in China

• Season

  Climbing season

  1 Oct – 31 MarTrail season

  The reason a small town in Guangxi is on the world climbing map. Cool, dry, and the limestone drying fast after rain — mid-October to March is when the crags fill with rope bags.

• Holiday

  National Day Golden Week

  1–7 OctCrowdedBook early

  Perfect weather, impossible logistics. Bamboo rafts on the Yulong queue for hours, West Street does not move, and rooms cost triple if there are any. Source ↗

Still on: Rice harvest in the valleys (20 Sep – 20 Oct (usually))

Busy — one of its best months for weather

Nothing new starts in November.

Still on: Climbing season (1 Oct – 31 Mar)

Busy — school holidays in 5 of the markets that fill it, one of its best months for weather

Nothing new starts in December.

Still on: Climbing season (1 Oct – 31 Mar)