Things to Do in Southern China

The Pearl River stretches for 1,376 miles (2,214 kilometers) from Xi Jiang to the Pearl River Delta where it pours into the South China Sea. It's the third longest river in China and the second largest by volume. According to local legend, the river got its name from a huge boulder in the middle of the river, smoothed by water erosion to resemble a round pearl in the middle of the river.

The most famous portion of the Pearl River flows through the heart of Guangzhou, and the waterfront is home to many of the city's top attractions, White Goose Pool and the behemoth Canton Tower among them.

One of the most popular ways to enjoy the Pearl River in Guangzhou is by cruise. While boats ply the waters throughout the day, the best time to experience the sights of the river are at night, when the Guangzhou skyline is colorfully lit up. No matter when you cruise, you'll likely pass beneath the 10 bridges that span the river within the city.

Located in the hills northwest of Yangshuo lies an area with the beautiful name Longji, which translated into English means "the rice terraces on the backbone of a dragon." The glittering, green fields swing their way gently up the slopes to lofty heights that are far away from the noisy tourist regions in the lower altitudes. Probably due to the climbs up the steep stairs and walkways being not that easy, the rice terraces breathe a sense of tranquility that is rare in modern China. In the midst of these rice fields lies Ping'an village, a place where time has almost stood still. 

The traditional wooden houses are crowded together, as if they want to be as close as possible, and on the front steps, old women feed chickens and dogs lazily guard door ways. Although the region is well developed and houses now have water and electricity, the lifestyle is very simple and the area around Ping'an village is home to the Zhuang minority. Many women still wear the traditional clothing, colorful scarves and embroidered blouses to work in the rice fields. And because of the couple guest houses and short journey between Guilin and Yangshuo, the village is now a popular spot to spend the night and watch the sun rise over the rice terraces the following morning from the Seven Stars Around The Moon or the Nine Dragons And Five Tigers viewpoints. Sunrises here are spectacular any time of the year, as in spring, water glitters on the newly irrigated fields like silver ribbons, in summer the bright green of the growing rice takes over, during the harvest time in fall the slopes are golden and in winter, everything is covered in a layer of white. 

If you’ve seen the James Cameron film Avatar, you might recognize the scenery at China’s majestic Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. According to park officials, it was photos of the national park in Hunan Province of Central China that inspired the floating mountains depicted in the film.

The park was the first designated national forest park in China and a favorite among outdoor loving travelers. The 185 square mile (479 square kilometer) park encompasses countless towering sandstone pillars, many times poking out from a sea of clouds, as well as peaceful streams, gaping karst caves and abundant natural wildlife.

Yuanjiajie, the most popular spot in the park, is where you’ll find the Avatar Hallelujah Mountains, while the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon area is home to the newly opened highest and longest glass bridge in the world.

Shekou is a small waterfront area located at the southern tip of Shenzhen. It faces Hong Kong's Yuen Long across the water, which is only an hour away by ferry, and so many people choose to visit Shekou on a day trip from Hong Kong. Shekou is the primary expat hub of Shenzhen. The main attraction here is Sea World, a western­-style entertainment center built around the grounded Minghu ship in the bay. This boasts a 3D cinema, a four star hotel, a nightclub, a fully­equipped gym, and a strip of bars and cafes catering to tourists.

In fact there's no shortage of cafes, bars, and nightclubs in the area, along with a number of high­-end hotels. There are also some skyscrapers of note, such as the China Merchants Tower, plus several parks to explore.

The 600-year-old Yulong Bridge, also known as the Dragon Bridge, is located in the north of Yangshuo in an area surrounded by the hundreds of tall karst peaks, rural mudbrick villages, rice paddies and grazing water buffalos. It is a 60-meter-long single-arched bridge—the biggest of its kind in Guangxi Province—and is shaped like a rainbow bending its way over the languidly moving water. The steps are an uneven jumble and because of its old age, the sides of the bridge are sloping inward. Beneath the bridge, women from the nearby Baisha village wash their clothes and children play in the shallow water. In fact, the area around the Yulong Bridge is perfect for swimming, as the water moves slow, is much cleaner than the Li River and there are many natural pools. Bamboo raft rides are sold directly beneath the bridge, with many locals more than willing to take visitors for a float down the river

It’s really no wonder that this romantic landscape and the charming, antique bridge have quite some folklore attached to it. According to one legend, a student heading to an important exam came upon the river but could not cross it due to a monster living in it and creating huge waves. With the help of the dragon king and his daughter, however, the monster was defeated, so the student went on to take his exam and several years later, returned to build a bridge in thanks. Another legend says that a dragon was so mesmerized by the beautiful scenery that he decided to stay there forever. The locals kept seeing the dragon and decided to name their bridge after him—Yulong literally means “meet the dragon.”