Yangdi - Xingping

As of Aug 2013, this 18- to 24-km walk can be done both ways and it is a far more peaceful way to enjoy the Li river and mountain scenery than a loud noisy boat down the river. It takes you along the pebbly shores of the river, through many small villages, fields and bamboo forests. You will have to take three bamboo raft across the river at about ¥10-30 each after bargaining. Just tell someone you want to go "walking". In the direction of Xingping the first ferry crossing can be difficult to negotiate as it appears to not be entirely legal. The other ferries however are not an issue. If you get tired during the walk, you can always rent a bamboo raft to float down the river; don't worry about availability - you will be turning down offers of 'Bamboo? Bamboo?' the whole way. There are plenty of people selling food and drinks along the way, ranging from single sellers to sit-down cafes. One can then take a bamboo raft back to the start ¥300-500 one way. The 3 ferry points across the river might not be in operation all day, so the better way is to start the trail from Daqiaotou village instead of Yangdi to skip 2 ferry points. Or if you start from Xingping and don't want to do the whole trail, you can do the trail from Xingping to Quanjiazhou and walk back. You can get the updated direction for the trail from AllTrails app.

• outdoors