Yangshuo Li River Landscape Light Show Ticket Guilin

The Li River Landscape Light Show

Since it opened in 2004 this show has become one of the best-known open-air performances in China, often called the first show to use a real landscape as its stage. The audience sits in tiered stands on the bank of the Li River near Yangshuo, and the stage is a wide bend of the river, about two kilometres of water and a ring of karst peaks behind it. As night falls, floodlights pick out one peak after another, so the mountains seem to appear and vanish with the music.

The cast is made up largely of local villagers and fishermen, and the scenes follow the rhythm of river life: rafts of fishermen drawing lines of red silk across the water, lantern-lit processions, women in silver headdresses gliding along a walkway just above the surface, and a glowing moon rising over the river. Is the Yangshuo light show worth it? For most visitors it is the most memorable evening of a Guilin trip, with no language needed to enjoy it.

Music, Songs and the Peoples of Guangxi

Guangxi is often called the land of folk song, and the show is built around the call-and-response singing of the Zhuang people, the largest ethnic group of the region, echoing across the water. The costumes draw on the Zhuang, Yao, Miao and Dong traditions, from embroidered jackets to heavy silver jewellery, and the choreography uses hundreds of performers moving together on rafts and walkways.

The soundtrack mixes traditional melodies with orchestral music, and the natural acoustics of the valley carry the voices clearly to every seat. Because the story is told through images and songs rather than dialogue, the show works equally well for children, older travellers and visitors from any country. Many travellers combine the evening with a day on the Li River cruise, which makes the river you watched from the boat the stage of your night.

Yangshuo Town and West Street

Yangshuo is a small riverside town about 65 kilometres south of Guilin, surrounded on every side by karst pinnacles. Its old West Street, lined with stone-paved lanes, craft shops, cafés and restaurants, is busy until late and only a short ride from the show grounds. Before the show you can stroll the street or the riverbank; afterwards your driver takes you straight back to your hotel.

Yangshuo is also a good base for the Yulong River countryside, the Li River landing at Xingping and the hill viewpoints around town. Halal food is not as widespread as in Xi'an, but noodle shops run by Hui Muslim families, often serving Lanzhou-style beef noodles, can be found in Yangshuo and Guilin; ask us and we will point you to the nearest one.

How to Get to the Show, Seats and Best Time

How to get to the Yangshuo light show: the venue is on the edge of Yangshuo town, by the river. With the default option our driver collects you from your Yangshuo hotel and brings you back after the show; hotels in Guilin city are not covered, as Guilin is about one hour and a half away by road. If you are based in Guilin, plan to stay at least one night in Yangshuo.

VIP seats sit in the central section with the clearest view of the whole river stage; the B1 and B2 options are further back or to the side and are also available, with or without transfer. Performances take place every evening, with show times that shift by season. The best time to see it is from April to October, when the evenings are warm; light rain does not usually stop the show, but heavy rain or high water can cancel it.