Swimming in the Li River

During the summer, the water and temperature is good for swimming. Locals swim from the docks on the Li Jiang (Li River) a short way upstream of the town centre. The water is generally clean and crystal clear but you may want to avoid a main waste drain near to the dock. Keep walking up to the north from the dock for around 20 minutes to find out a popular swimming spot, nicknamed "the secret beach". Pay extra attention on strong currents which can be experienced in many parts of the river, especially if you are not good enough at swimming. Also tour boats that travel the Li Jiang coming from Guilin are a hazard, but usually the time before 12:00 and after 15:00 is tour boat free. The Yulong River is also good for swimming, offering some quality swimming spots, e.g. near dragon bridge, although some parts of the river are crowded with bamboo rafts.

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Listing from Wikivoyage: Yangshuo, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Updated 28 Sept 2026. Something wrong? Tell us.

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