When I was planning this family trip, I looked most forward to the hostel that we would be staying at in Yangshuo, for all the bedrooms in the hostel come with fantastic, wide open views of the Lijiang River.

The beauty of Moyesanqiu Homestay is that it is located across the shore from Yangshuo’s town proper. It provides the quiet we needed when we rested for the night, but showing fully the glimpse afar of the glorious and boisterous Yangshuo town as it is set against the classic views of Guilin’s karst peaks.

The Moyesanqiu Homestay

Moyesanqiu is perhaps not high on the list of popularity for the hotels that feature fantastic views of the Lijiang River in Yangshuo. The very popular one that receives all kinds of kudos from the KOLs is the Xitang River View Holiday Hotel. It was fully booked when I made my reservation, so I had to look for alternatives.

As it turned out, Moyesanqiu Homestay is quite a notch cheaper. It was newish when we visited in late 2024. One critical tip for booking hotels in China is that, given all else being equal, it is better to choose a hotel that is newer. Although this seems common sense, it is especially important in China. Generally, a new hotel in China is a certain guarantee of its comfort level. Photographs online always show the most flattering aspects and they are not a good indicator of the quality. Hotels get old and tired in China easily due to both climate and cultural reasons.

We checked in and found ourselves in a beautiful full window view of Lijiang River in all our rooms. All of the rooms in Moyesanqiu will give you this view. I specifically ordered a room on the top floor, and the curtains can be drawn for one to watch the stars as well. I really could not have asked for more.

Furthermore, the rooms are incredibly spacious. One standard room is big enough for a family of four with young children.

The only issue with Moyesanqiu is that it is located in a less busy part of Yangshuo, as such more effort is necessary to get to the good restaurants. It was perfectly fine, as we had a driver with us.

The Ten Mile Gallery of Yangshuo

In my last visit to Yangshuo, I heard about the famous Ten Mile Gallery and the sites along this route that are worth visiting. I did not hire a car, and so I did not have a chance to see it.

Xiaohuang, our driver, explained to me that the Ten Mile Gallery is simply a scenic route going for a distance of 5km and marked by a façade. That’s all there is to it. We drove by it about two times in this trip. The views along the way are great. In an upcoming entry, I will discuss some of the sites along the Ten Mile Gallery, including the Moon Mountain, Ruyi Mountain Cable Car, the Dong Ethnic Minority Village and the Silver Cave.

I have seen online that people suggest cycling through the Ten Mile Gallery. Having ridden in a car on this stretch of scenic route, I question the wisdom of tourists riding on a bike there. It is, properly considered, a motorway. Yangshuo’s beginning as a hot spot for tourism dated to the 1980s. Back then, it was particularly popular with foreign backpackers. This would explain why the option of cycling in the county is touted. I am sure, however, the conditions that made cycling a favorable means of transportation then no longer hold true now.

That is not to say that the usual preferences of activities by foreign tourists do not exist now in Yangshuo. For example, the Moon Mountain is a proper climb. There are also hot air balloons for midair ascent. Please inquire locally about these options.