Yangshuo Cultural Relic Landscape Garden

In the southeast of Yangshuo County, there lies the Yangshuo Cultural Relic Landscape Garden. This garden is famous for the many intriguing inscriptions, pavilions and natural beauty. It is also endowed with some of spectacular water scenery for which the Li River is so popular. The garden has three famous cultural relics, Jingguan Path (Scenery Path), Jian Shan Temple and Ying Jiang Pavilion, which attract tourists from around the world.
 

Upon entering Yangshuo Cultural Relic Landscape Garden and walking in a southerly direction, the visitor may follow the marble paved Jingguan Path (Scenery Path). On the cliff alongside the Scenery Path, there are over 20 inscriptions that were created during the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368-1911). Most of these are masterpieces of outstanding scholars or poets who are highly regarded for their excellence in the arts of calligraphy and literature. The most amazing piece here is the inscription of the Chinese character 'dai' (which means 'strip' in English). It is 5.73 meters high (about 18.8 feet) and 3 meters wide (about 9.8 feet) and is the work of Wang Yuanren, who was a Yangshuo county magistrate in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). He is said to be a descendant of Wang Xizhi, China's most outstanding calligrapher. This cursive script 'dai' appears as a single character but it actually contains many different Chinese characters that form a poem. So, this inscription is worth visiting both for its value in calligraphy and poesy.
 

To the north of Scenery Path, lies the Jian Shan Building (originally named Jian Shan Temple) built in 713. After surviving for more than a thousand years, the original building in Yangshuo Cultural Relic Landscape Garden was destroyed during warfare in 1961. The local government had it rebuilt in 1995 in the typical architectural style of Tang Dynasty. With an area of 5,589 square meters (about 1.38 acres), the restored temple is now the largest and most majestic in Guangxi. The main hall houses three figures of Buddha each over 7 meters high (about 22.97 feet) that show a sense of the sublime. Some forty-eight josses add to the atmosphere of the temple which attracts tourists from all over the world. Backed by the Green Lotus Peak, the Jian Shan Temple overlooks the torrential Li River and standing in front of the temple, you can see the surging water that passes by all year round.
 

To the east of the Jian Shan Building, the Yingjiang Pavilion stands quietly on the mountainside in Yangshuo Cultural Relic Landscape Garden. It is an eight-angled pavilion with two storeys. Unlike a traditional pavilion, the upper floor has seven windows and one gate, and from each of these, there are uniquely different views of the county seat, the river alongside, sunrise, sunset and so on.

Other features of the Yangshuo Cultural Relic Landscape Garden include the many remarkable rock formations, natural waterfalls and constantly flowing steams. Surrounded by hundred year old green trees and mirrorlike waters of the Li River, the Yangshuo Cultural Relic Landscape Garden has become an outstanding attraction for visitors to Guilin.
 

1. Take Yangshuo bus no. 801, 802, 803, 806, 808, or 809 to Xijie and then walk eastward for 3 minutes to the garden.
2. From West Street, visitors can walk southeast for 5 minutes to reach the garden.