Guilin Photography Tips - What, When & Where to Shoot

1. Karst Mountains

The Karst landform is the best scenic highlight of Guilin. The scattering rising hills are made into various shapes and looks with different patterns of yellow, white and dark grey among the emerald cliffs. To enjoy the stunning hills closely, we suggest you take the Li River cruise to admire the large number of popular hills with fun appearances and also in the very famous beautiful river section, where you will encounter with the Nine Horses Fresco Hill, Goat Hoof Hill, and scenery on back of the 20 RMB Chinese note.

Besides, you are highly recommended to climb on the peaks to catch the panorama of the jagged Karst mountains from where you stand to the far end.

Recommended Tours to Shoot Karst Mountains:
>> 3 Days Classic Guilin Tour - Guilin Brief Vacation (Li River, Yulong River, Ten-mile Gallery, Moon Hill, etc.)
>> 6 Days Guilin In-depth Photography Tour (Xianggong Hill)

2. Fishing Lights on Li River

A lot of fancy photos of Li River fishing are shared and awed a lot of people. At dusk and morning moments, local fishermen row their primitive bamboo rafts on the Li River with rosy fishing light and cormorants side by, and with the quiet reflection of the lights and surrounding mountains and groves, it is really charming and flavored to create the classic superb photographic works.

Recommended Tours to Shoot Fishing Lights on Li River:
>> 6 Days Guilin In-depth Photography Tour (Xingping, Li River)

3. Rice Terraces

It is a big pity to miss the rice terraces in Longsheng, Guilin, since this city holds the world’s best terraced fields with awesome subtle curves and layers. Local farmers elaborately cultivate the rice terraces to present visitors with different but incredible landscape on the mountains in different months, including the mirror-like layered fields, lush fresh emerald crops, and vast golden harvesting wheat. Not only that, standing high on the viewing decks there, you can take fantastic photos of the natural images formed by the layers of fields in different shapes and sizes, including the famous Nine Dragon and Five Tigers, Seven Star around the Moon, West Hill Music with gorgeous sunrise and morning mists, Golden Buddha Peak with huge phoenix-like rice terrace scenery, etc.

Recommended Tours to Shoot Rice Terraces:
>> 5 Days Best Guilin In-depth Vacation (Longji Rice Terraces)
>> 6 Days Guilin In-depth Photography Tour (Longji Rice Terraces)

4. Yangshuo Countryside View

Yangshuo’s countryside view is really idyllic to match the lovely world in fairytales stories. Pieces of farming fields irrigated with water in different geometric shapes stitching one by one by the straight and winding countryside paths look like giant stunning silk covered on earth, especially lit by the warm rosy sunglows in the morning and dusk moments. Besides, with the emerald agricultural crops rising in spring and summer times, surrounding the scattered tiny black and white houses, the typical countryside landscape is extremely pleasant to create outstanding shooting works.

Recommended Tours to Shoot Yangshuo Countryside View:
>> 6 Days Guilin In-depth Photography Tour (Xianggong Hill, Cuiping Hill)

5. Water & Reflections

As the saying goes the landscape of Guilin is the best on earth, the view of running water and reflection of the mountains in Guilin is not to be missed for any photographer. The most famous landscape of water and reflections is at Li River, where diverse types can be appreciated in different weather condition, time of a day, and season of a year. In light rainy days or foggy days, you can catch the flavored view of river and mountains just like the traditional Chinese ink brush painting. However, in sunny days with the backdrop of blue sky and white clouds, the green mountains in diverse shapes and height, rippling water and the inverted images of all the plants and hills can create highly outstanding symmetrical compositions. Besides, with local bamboo rafts or river cruises sailing, the scene of traveling in a painting will be easily encountered, especially at the Yellow Cloth Shoal. For some shooting sites, sunrise and sunset hours provide more charming atmosphere for photography, such as Yellow Cloth Shoal, Yulong River, etc.

Recommended Tours to Shoot Water & Reflections:
>> 3 Days Classic Guilin Tour - Guilin Brief Vacation (Elephant Trunk Hill, Yulong River, Li River)

6. Sunrise

You can enjoy several kinds of sunrise in Guilin.

Staying by the Li River, you can take your photographing equipment to shoot the rising sun, morning glows, mists, fishing lights, etc. changing gradually with the sunshine coming from the remote end of the world.

Moreover, to take photos of sunrise, Xianggong Hill is surely not to be omitted. Going up to the peak in the early morning, you are going to embrace the gorgeous rising sun to ignite the blue sky into wonderful and draw out the sublime outlook of the groups of Karst mountains from far to near with its strings of glows. With the floating sea of clouds and mists, the world in front of you can match the heaven. To shoot the similar sunrise view, you can also visit Yao Mountain where shows wider vision of the Karst hills.

Apart from the above, Longji Rice Terraces Scenic Area is also a terrific place to shoot sunrise. Especially in spring when all the rice terraced fields are irrigated with water, the sunrise glows illuminating to dye each one into a beautiful piece of enamel.

Recommended Tours to Shoot Sunrise:
>> 6 Days Guilin In-depth Photography Tour (Xianggong Hill, Yellow Cloth Shoal, Longji Rice Terraces)
>> 4 Days Guilin Highlights Tour (Longji Rice Terrace)

7. Sunset

Sunset in Guilin is also a good theme for splendid photography works. One of the top recommendations is Cuiping Hill in Yangshuo County, where you will be rewarded with the very fabulous sunset glow above the idyllic countryside view and Karst hill groups. Besides, the famous sunset of the Yellow Cloth Shoal section on Li River enables a chance to shoot the atmospheric view of the river, mountain, forest, reflection and fishing scene, and so forth.

While, if you visit Longji Rice Terraces, you shall not miss the sunset landscape in Ping’an and Dazhai Jinkeng villages.

Recommended Tours to Shoot Sunset:
>> 6 Days Guilin In-depth Photography Tour (Cuiping Five Fingers Hill, Yellow Cloth Shoal, Longji Rice Terraces)

8. Ethnic Minorities & Architectures

Guilin is an outstanding gathering of ethnic minority groups, therefore, you can completely seize your days there to record their splendid costumes, typical architectures, daily life, to your works. Among all the ethnic minorities living regions, Longsheng County stands out prominently. As there are several villages for typical Zhuang and Yao people, particularly in Ping’an Zhuang Village, Jinkeng Dazhai Yao Village, and Longji Ancient Zhuang Village. Furthermore, Huangluo Yao Village, the world longest hair village is an awesome shining pearl for appreciation of women with very long hairs up to 1.8 meters and in bright red costumes and ornaments. During your wandering along the rice terraces, you can prepare your camera to shoot their featured tilted houses constructed against the mountains.

Recommended Tours to Shoot Ethnic Minorities & Architectures:
>> 5 Days Best Guilin In-depth Vacation (Longji Rice Terrace)
>> 6 Days In-depth Guilin Tour from Hong Kong (Longji Rice Terrace)

9. Karst Caves

Owing to the featured Karst landform, it presents Guilin a series of stunning Karst caves and caverns with diverse shapes of stalactites and stalagmites. And with the wisdom and pursuit of beauty of human, the colorful gorgeous palaces are formed for all people. Inside there, you can see incredibly interesting and lifelike figures, vegetables, animals, natural items, etc.

Recommended Tours to Shoot Karst Caves:
>> 3 Days Classic Guilin Tour - Guilin Brief Vacation (Reef Flute Cave)

10. Ancient Towns, Villages & Streets

Besides natural views, ancient buildings are also frequently chosen for most Guilin photographers and shutterbugs. Just enter the top ancient towns and villages, frame the exquisite historical buildings, paths, bridges, lanes, pavilions, temples, and local people’s life scenes, etc., and press your shutter. Also, you can visit the old West Street stuffed with many global visitors and business owners to seek the blending flavor of tradition with international modern culture.

Recommended Tours to Shoot Ancient Towns, Villages & Streets:
>> 6 Days Guilin In-depth Photography Tour (Xingping Old Town)
>> 2 Days Guilin Ideal Li River Cruise with Yangshuo Essence Tour (Jiuxian Village, West Street)