I enjoy planning trips as much as I enjoy traveling itself. Although the initial spark for a trip often comes from a sudden whim, I tend to create nearly perfect itineraries concentrated on photography. Of course, photo shooting depends on the weather, I plan trips to avoid the rainy season. Besides, I gather detailed information beforehand and build in a reasonable time margin for weather. This is why friends say my vacations resemble reporting trips.
For the Guilin trip, which was decided based on mileage award ticket availability, I stayed in the less-known town of Xingping located between Cities of Guilin and Yangshuo, two major tourist cities in the region. In post-COVID-19 days, latest tourist information for China is still limited, and details of minor towns are extremely limited.
I was only able to gather limited information about Xingping beforehand. However, this town lies along the highlight section of the cruise route from Guilin to Yangshuo and is apparently famous as the location depicted on the 20-yuan banknote. There seemed to be short cruises originating from this town, offering a chance to enjoy the boat trip as well.
The reason I deliberately chose to stay in Xingping was the information that sunrise view from Xianggong Mountain was beautiful. However, specific details were scarce, and even the access to Xianggong Mountain was unclear. While Chinese-language tours seemed available from places like Guilin City, by looking at the map, the nearest town was Xingping.
Although I still did not fully understand everything, I decided to stay in Xingping for all three nights of the itinerary. I had a feeling that just staying in Xingping would make me fully enjoy Guilin.
Entrusting everything without full understanding. Consider this as an investment, it would be arrant nonsense. However, since the airfare was free, I figured I had little to lose even if it failed.
Arranging sunrise trip by myself seemed difficult, I made inquiry to the hotel. They referred to me a company that handles their tour desk services. When I contacted the company, I was told that they were able to arrange sunrise tour at Xianggong Mountain. They also supported me with various other inquiries, which were big help for gathering information.
Although I would stay in Guilin for three nights, the schedule only allowed for two sunrise viewings. Since photography was the main focus of the trip, I booked sunrise tours for both days. Getting up early on weekdays is tough, but I can manage the early rise during the travel.
The tour company contacted me via WeChat the day before. I needed to walk 15 minutes to the meeting point. Since I would cross the river by a small boat and then travel overland, this likely avoids unnecessary expenses.
The meeting time was 5 AM. I boarded a ferry operated by the village on the opposite shore and then drove to Xianggong Mountain. The driver waited for me at the parking lot near the ticket office. I suppose this meant he was not a guide, but since tickets can be purchased using gestures and Alipay, this was actually more relaxed and preferable.
However, relaxed feeling ended here.
To reach the viewpoint of Xianggong Mountain, I had to climb steep stairs. According to my iPhone, it was equivalent to climbing 20 floors. After struggling up the stairs, the viewpoint was extremely crowded. I managed to get a spot around the third row, but the photo shooting conditions were poor. Even worse, clouds were thick too. While it could be called fantastic scenery, it was a major letdown.
Feeling sulky, I went down the mountain and returned to the car. On the way back to the pier for Xingping, the sun emerged at a spot with great views. Perhaps sensing my bad mood, the driver stopped there, letting me to take some great photos.
This lifted my spirits. I returned to the hotel for a nap and woke up after noon. Xingping has an ancient town where historic buildings house cafes and shops. I had a light meal at one of the cafes.
Walking through the town, I found a tourist boat terminal next to the ferry landing. Several tours seemed available, but I was not sure which one to choose. I opted for a 90-minute tour which seemed popular. I thought gestures and Alipay might suffice to purchase tickets, but surprisingly, Alipay was not accepted. If gestures and Alipay do not work, then translation apps and credit cards will do. Even using airline miles, getting free tickets are tough, but paying for works out most of the time.
The weather had already cleared up to a beautiful sunny day. I thought it might be a bit disappointing since the boat had no windows opened, but on the way back, they let me ride on the rooftop observation deck. It was quite spectacular.
After getting off the sightseeing boat, it was getting close to evening. I headed to the second main spot in this town for sunset photography. It was the location depicted on the back of the 20-yuan banknote. While several spots claimed to be the “scenic painting location,” I found a spot ideal for photography. Facing west, the evening view was beautiful.
In the early next morning, I headed to Xianggong Mountain again. I requested an earlier time since it was too crowded on the previous day. Ultimately, it was bound by the ferry schedule, it did not make much difference. The ferry had about half the passengers compared to the previous day. Came to think of it, last day was a Sunday.
The crowd at Xianggong Mountain was also about a half of the size, which allowed me to secure the front row at the spot I found the day before. Being at the front means I was able to use the fence as a tripod substitute, so shotting by slow shutter speeds were not problem. This day was clear, letting me enjoy everything from the pre-sunrise glow to the moment the sun peeked over the mountains.
In my research beforehand, I found that there were raft boats in Xingping. There were several ticket sellers in Xingping, but I was not sure which one to pick. I asked the tour desk to book my ticket. Since I was able to specify the boarding time, I chose the latest departure. It coincided perfectly with sunset time.
Perhaps because the raft boat operation is managed by another village, the boarding point was a little too far from the hotel. The raft was low to the water, offering a more immersive experience than sightseeing boat on previous day. The sunset unfolded near the spot depicted on the 20-yuan banknote.
Despite going to Xingping with limited information, I ended up extremely satisfied. I probably enjoyed more than if I would go to Guilin City and follow the standard tourist route.
The choice was almost a gamble. If I had paid for plane tickets, I might not have taken the risk. Although it is said that there is no such thing as a free lunch, but a free lunch is really tasty.