The Yulong River is located in Guilin, referring to the section from the Peach Garden Beyond the Frontiers of BaiSha to the Gongnong Bridge of the Great Banyan Tree. It is about 16 kilometers long, 38-61 meters wide, and 0.5-2 meters deep. The water is clear all year round, and the stream flows slowly. On both sides of the Yulong River, the peaks are graceful and continuous, with myriad forms. The riverbank is covered with green grass, lush bamboo, and shady trees. The water of the Yulong River is like green jade, clear and bright. Fish swim leisurely, and rafts sway gently, all visible. A gentle breeze brushes across the water, creating ripples like notes played by a violin, quiet and soft.
The stone arch bridge of the tributary of the Yulong River is the oldest stone arch bridge in Guangxi. The bridge is 2.2 meters high, 26 meters long, and 4 meters wide. It was built in the fifth year of Xuanhe in the Song Dynasty (AD 1123). The structure of the bridge is unique, adopting an extremely rare parallel brick method, using nine groups of token stones to build the arch, consisting of 281 parallel stones. Despite more than eight hundred years of wind and rain erosion and flood impact, the bridge remains intact.
Zhouzhai is a small village. The only thing worth seeing is the clear Yulong River flowing at the entrance of the village and a stone arch bridge less than ten meters wide on the river. This bridge has a history of more than two hundred years, also known as Wangfu Bridge, which is the first ancient stone bridge on the Yulong River. The bridge surface has been eroded very thin, but the semi-circular shape of the bridge arch is still very complete, showing the solid skills of ancient craftsmen. Under the bridge, there are several peasant women washing clothes. They are still using the ancient traditional method of washing clothes, rubbing, beating, and making sounds. When asked why they don't use washing machines, they said "we can't even afford detergent, how can we afford washing machines", sounding as if from another era. When asking the villagers about the origin of the Yulong River, they couldn't answer, only knowing some old stories passed down by the older generation: "the five-finger mountain ahead, under which Sun Wukong is pressed. He will be released after 500 years and can save all beings..." It really feels like walking into the "Peach Blossom Spring" written by Tao Yuanming. Finding Zhouzhai is equivalent to finding the upper reaches of the Yulong River, but this is just the first step of a "long march".
500 meters upstream of the Yulong Bridge, it is a single-arch material stone structure. The bridge surface, railings, and steps are all made of square stones, built during the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty. The bridge is 30 meters long, 5 meters wide, and 10 meters high, one of the three ancient bridges in Yangshuo. There is an ancient tree at each end of the bridge. The length and height of the bridge are roughly similar. From afar, the bridge arch and its reflection connect, resembling a full moon. Standing at the bridgehead, you can see the green mountains encircling, and the green water winding around the village, presenting a typical southern landscape.
Coming to Guilin and not touring the Li River is a regret; coming to Yangshuo and not seeing the Yulong River is even more regrettable. The Yulong River is known as the "Little Li River," the essence of Yangshuo's landscapes. It is famous for its green mountains, blue water, verdant bamboo, peculiar bridges, and ingenious villages, being one of the most beautiful sceneries in the Guilin area and the best representation of Yangshuo's landscapes.
Special Scenic Spot: The stone arch bridge on the Yulong River, located beside the Yulong Village in the Baisha Town, was built in the Ming Dynasty. It is 60 meters long, 5 meters wide, 9 meters high, and spans 18 meters, all constructed of stones without mortar. After hundreds of years, it remains undamaged, being a key cultural relic in Yangshuo County. The bridge body is majestic and magnificent, with vines climbing on both sides of the stone bridge, giving it an ancient charm. The water flows gently beneath, where villagers have carried water and washed clothes for generations. Through the shifting of time, the Yulong Bridge has witnessed the vicissitudes of life, yet remains as strong as ever. The first set of scenes in the movie "Third Sister Liu" was shot here. There stands a monument on the bridge called "Victory Monument of the Resistance War in Yulong Village," narrating the heroic achievements of local people who held out for nine months at Zhu Family Fort (also named Tianzuo Fort) opposite the Yulong Bridge, fighting bloodily against Japanese invaders and achieving victory. During the "Cultural Revolution," the monument was destroyed and thrown into the river. In 1987, the government salvaged the lower half of the broken monument and managed to restore it, repositioning it on its original spot on the bridge for remembrance. Due to its convenient location and fame, many Chinese and foreign tourists visit here every day.
The Yulong River is a beautiful river, known as the "Little Li River." Especially downstream of the Yulong Bridge to the Heshan estuary where it converges with the Jinbao River, approximately 12 kilometers, featuring towering peaks, lush greenery, sprawling fields, and scattered villages. You can admire scenic spots such as the Yulong Bridge, Rhinoceros Looking at the Moon, Chuan Mountain Ancient Fort, Ruins of Guiyi City, Five-Finger Mountain, Shuangliu Mouth, and Heavenly Horse Soaring through the Air. This is another excellent scenery of Yangshuo's landscapes. The main tourist attractions of the Yulong River include: Fuli Bridge, Yulong Bridge, Ruins of Guiyi Ancient City, Xian Gui Bridge, Old County Civilian House Group, and the "Little Li River" scenery, etc.
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