Elephant Trunk Hill and a bowl of Guilin noodles in town, the finest stretch of the Li River by boat, the landscape on the back of the twenty-yuan note at Xingping, a bamboo raft on the Yulong River, and West Street with a mountains-and-water stage show after dark — eight stops, each with the Chinese you will actually use there.
The recommended plan is “One Day in Guilin — The Li River and Yangshuo”: about A full day · about 13 hours, 8 stops —Elephant Trunk Hill, Guilin Rice Noodles, The Li River (Yangdi–Xingping), Xingping Old Town, Yellow Cloth Reflection (the ¥20 view), Yulong River Bamboo Raft, West Street, Impression Sanjie Liu. Every stop comes with Chinese vocabulary, pinyin, set phrases and cultural notes at roughly HSK 3 level.
The day is really Guilin in the morning and Yangshuo in the afternoon: Elephant Trunk Hill and a bowl of Guilin noodles in the city, then a drive to Yangdi to join the finest stretch of the Li River by raft or boat (Yangdi to Xingping), landing at Xingping old town at midday where the landscape on the back of the twenty-yuan note lies. Yangshuo comes after: a bamboo raft on the Yulong River, then West Street and the Impression Sanjie Liu stage show after dark. There is both water and road travel, so keep luggage light. The local speech is Guiliu, a Southwestern Mandarin close to standard, with Zhuang spoken in some villages — but Mandarin works everywhere visitors go. Each stop carries the words and sentences most likely to come up that day, so you can read them aloud here and use them there.
Best time · 最佳季节：四月到十月看水景最好；丰水期江水最足，秋天两岸的田和山最清爽April–October is best for the river; the water runs fullest in the wet season and the autumn hills and fields are clearest
时间、票价与开放时间会随季节变动，出发前请现场再确认一次；这里给的是先后顺序，不是时刻表。Times, prices and opening hours change by season — confirm on the day. The order here is a sequence, not a timetable.
07:30清早
🏛地标 · Landmark象山区 · 滨江路第 1 站
象鼻山Elephant Trunk Hill
Xiàngbí Shān
一座伸进漓江、像大象喝水的小山，桂林的城徽。
A hill reaching into the Li like an elephant drinking — the emblem of Guilin.
At the meeting of the Li and Taohua rivers, the hill reaches into the water and a round arch has been worn through it, so from a distance it reads as an elephant dipping its trunk to drink — the Water-Moon Cave is the gap between trunk and leg, which is why it became Guilin's emblem. Early morning mist on the water and the reflection below make the best of it. The park is small, an hour's walk.
Practical note · 实用提示
想拍全景要隔江或站在对岸的看台；清早雾多、出片最好。
For the full shape, shoot from across the river or the opposite viewing point; the misty early morning photographs best.
Guilin noodles are round rice noodles under a spoonful of braising liquor, topped with crisp-fried pork belly, pickled beans, fried peanuts and spring onion. There is a method: toss and eat dry first, then add a ladle of bone broth halfway through to turn it into soup. Order by weight, 二两 or 三两, and 加卤蛋 for a braised egg. Every shop guards its own liquor recipe — that spoonful is the whole difference.
Practical note · 实用提示
说清楚二两还是三两；先干拌后加汤是本地吃法，别一上来就倒汤。
Say your size; toss before adding broth — that is the local way.
在这里说 · Say it here
米粉mǐfěn卤水lǔshuǐ锅烧guōshāo酸豆角suān dòujiǎo二两èr liǎng
卤水 — 米粉味道的关键。
来一碗米粉，二两。
Lái yì wǎn mǐfěn, èr liǎng.
One bowl of rice noodles, two liang.
用在 · 最标准的点法。The standard order.
可以加一个卤蛋吗？
Kěyǐ jiā yí ge lǔdàn ma?
Could I add a braised egg?
用在 · 想丰富一点就加卤蛋。For a bit more.
上车前往杨堤码头，开始漓江一段。Drive to Yangdi pier to begin the river stretch.
10:30上午
🌊自然 · Nature阳朔县 · 杨堤乡第 3 站
漓江（杨堤—兴坪段）The Li River (Yangdi–Xingping)
Líjiāng
漓江最精华的一段，两岸山峰一座接一座从水里长出来。
The finest stretch of the Li — peaks rising from the water one after another.
The Li runs from Guilin down to Yangshuo, and its most beautiful stretch is Yangdi to Xingping: classic karst peaks rising straight out of the water in every shape, with clean reflections below. Go by bamboo raft (fewer people, closer to the water) or by boat (steady, with seats); the route passes the Nine Horses Mural Hill and the Yellow Cloth reflection. Clear days give green hills and water, rainy days give mist — each has its own beauty.
Practical note · 实用提示
竹筏会湿鞋，穿防水的鞋或凉鞋；贵重物品装防水袋，救生衣一定要穿。
Rafts splash — wear waterproof shoes and bag your valuables; always wear the life jacket.
在这里说 · Say it here
竹筏zhúfá山峰shānfēng喀斯特kāsītè救生衣jiùshēngyī两岸liǎng'àn
竹筏一趟多少钱？
Zhúfá yí tàng duōshao qián?
How much is one raft trip?
用在 · 竹筏按船／按人计价，先问清。Rafts price by boat or by person — check first.
要穿救生衣吗？
Yào chuān jiùshēngyī ma?
Do I need a life jacket?
用在 · 安全第一，一定要问、一定要穿。Safety first — ask and wear one.
漂到兴坪上岸，进古镇。Land at Xingping and walk into the old town.
12:30中午
🚶漫步 · Walk阳朔县 · 兴坪镇第 4 站
兴坪古镇Xingping Old Town
Xīngpíng Gǔzhèn
漓江边一千多年的老镇，青石板路两边都是老屋。
A river town over a thousand years old — flagstones and old houses on both sides.
Xingping is an old river town with more than a thousand years behind it — flagstones, old shopfronts and houses still much as they were. It is small, half an hour at an easy pace, with a wharf and banyans by the water. It is also a fine place for sunrise over the Li, and many stay a night for it. Lunch here means beer fish and Li River shrimp.
Practical note · 实用提示
镇小但游客多，中午餐馆要排队；江边码头可以坐船看对岸。
Small but busy — expect queues at lunch. Boats by the wharf cross to the far bank.
在这里说 · Say it here
古镇gǔzhèn青石板qīng shíbǎn码头mǎtóu啤酒鱼píjiǔ yú老街lǎojiē
啤酒鱼 — 阳朔名菜。
古镇怎么走？
Gǔzhèn zěnme zǒu?
How do I get into the old town?
用在 · 从码头进镇时问。On the way in from the wharf.
这里有什么特色菜？
Zhèlǐ yǒu shénme tèsè cài?
What local dishes are there?
用在 · 点菜前问一句。Ask before ordering.
车到阳朔，去遇龙河。Drive on to Yangshuo for the Yulong River.
14:00下午
🔭观景 · Viewpoint阳朔县 · 兴坪镇第 5 站
黄布倒影（二十元背景）Yellow Cloth Reflection (the ¥20 view)
Huángbù Dàoyǐng
二十元人民币背面那片山水，就在兴坪的江边。
The landscape on the back of the twenty-yuan note, right by Xingping.
The picture on the back of the twenty-yuan note is exactly this stretch at Xingping: clear water with seven peaks mirrored in it, the reflection spread like a length of yellow cloth — hence the name. The viewing point sits minutes from Xingping by foot or car. Dawn and dusk are best, when the water is still and the mirror is sharpest. Bring the note itself: photographing it against the real view has become a ritual.
Practical note · 实用提示
清晨和傍晚倒影最好；带上一张二十元纸币合影。
Go at dawn or dusk for the reflection, and bring a twenty-yuan note.
A tributary of the Li, the Yulong runs shallow and slow between rice fields and villages — far quieter than the Li, hence 'little Li'. The raft is the traditional kind, poled along, and the route passes several centuries-old stone arch bridges whose reflections close into full circles underneath. There are low weirs along the way, and the raft splashes as it runs each one, so keep your phone dry.
Practical note · 实用提示
竹筏会溅水，手机挂防水袋；河上有落差，坐稳抓牢。
Expect splashes — bag your phone, sit steady over the weirs.
在这里说 · Say it here
竹筏zhúfá支流zhīliú石拱桥shígǒngqiáo稻田dàotián撑chēng
这一趟要多久？
Zhè yí tàng yào duōjiǔ?
How long does this trip take?
用在 · 竹筏分段，先问时间。Rafts run in sections — ask the length.
手机放哪里不怕水？
Shǒujī fàng nǎlǐ bú pà shuǐ?
Where can I put my phone so it stays dry?
用在 · 竹筏常备防水袋，问一声。Rafts often have dry bags — ask.
回阳朔，逛西街。Back to Yangshuo for West Street.
18:00夜里
🚶漫步 · Walk阳朔县 · 西街第 7 站
阳朔西街West Street
Yángshuò Xījiē
阳朔最热闹的一条老街，白天逛店、晚上酒吧灯亮。
Yangshuo's liveliest old street — shops by day, bars lit up at night.
West Street is Yangshuo's old lane, nicknamed 'Foreigners' Street' for the backpackers who came early on. Snack stalls, bars, guesthouses and gift shops sit side by side, and after dark the lights come on and it fills up. Try beer fish, stuffed river snails or the local noodles, or just sit down somewhere with a drink. English menus are common, so ordering is easy.
Practical note · 实用提示
晚上人多、拉客不少，选店看人多不多；喝东西先问价。
Busy at night with plenty of touts — pick a place by how full it is, and ask prices before drinking.
在这里说 · Say it here
西街Xījiē酒吧jiǔbā客栈kèzhàn田螺酿tiánluó niàng拉客lākè
田螺酿 — 阳朔特色菜。
有位置吗？
Yǒu wèizhi ma?
Is there a table?
用在 · 进店先问位。Ask on the way in.
有什么推荐的吗？
Yǒu shénme tuījiàn de ma?
What do you recommend?
用在 · 点菜时问店员。Ask the staff.
走到演出场地，看《印象·刘三姐》。Walk to the venue for Impression Sanjie Liu.
20:00夜里
🏺博物馆 · Museum阳朔县 · 漓江书童山段第 8 站
印象·刘三姐Impression Sanjie Liu
Yìnxiàng Liúsānjiě
以漓江和十二座山峰为背景的山水实景演出。
A stage show set against the Li River and twelve real peaks.
Impression Sanjie Liu is Yangshuo's best-known show: the stage is a stretch of the Li, with twelve peaks behind it, and lighting turns both water and hills into scenery. Most of the cast are local fishermen and villagers, the singing is Guangxi mountain song, and the story is that of Liu Sanjie, the Zhuang singing legend. It is open-air — rain does not stop it, and raincoats are handed out.
Practical note · 实用提示
露天演出，雨天发雨衣；山里晚上凉，带件外套。提前订票，位置分好几档。
Open-air: raincoats are provided, but bring a jacket for the cool evening. Book ahead — seating is tiered by price.
看会了不等于说得出。把上面这些句子拿到陪练里说一遍，AI 会告诉你哪个词用得地道、哪句可以换种说法。Reading is not speaking. Take these lines into the speaking partner and it will tell you which words landed and which sentence has a more natural version.