Dayu Ancient Town in Guilin is on the east bank of the Li River, to the southeast of Father and Son Rocks, and north of Mo Pan Mountain. It is 23 kilometers away from Guilin by water. Historical records show that the ancient town was originally built in the early Northern Song Dynasty, revived in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and reached its peak in the Republic of China era. It has a history of a thousand years. As early as 600 years ago, Dayu became the largest among the four major towns in Guangxi (Luwu in Binyang, Rongwu in Cangwu, and Qiaowu in Guixian) because of its "size".
Guilin Dayu is a waterway transportation hub and a famous market trade distribution center. To the east, there is Chaotian New River which connects with Ma River in Fuli; to the west, it links with Xiangsi River leading to Yongfu; to the north, the Li River runs through Guilin, Xing'an, Yangshuo, Ping Yue, and Wuzhou, reaching Hunan in the north and Guangzhou in the south.