Top Ancient Towns & Villages around Guilin

Written by Natalia | Updated May 26,2025

Guilin’s karst landscapes and the Li River may have drawn a great global attention, but its lesser-known ancient villages, which carry centuries of history and ethnic culture, are waiting to be uncovered. Walk through villages where 18th-century Zhuang stilt houses still stand, observe Yao artisans hand-weaving indigo textiles, and explore terraced rice fields that turn golden yellow each autumn.

For travelers, these villages aren’t just common stops; they’re touches to Guilin’s rural soul. These places are must-visit additions to your Guilin tour, whether you’re looking for photography spots, cultural immersion, or serene hikes. Below, we’ve listed the top ancient towns and villages around Guilin, each with unique charm and stories.

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• Xingping Ancient Town
• Daxu Ancient Town
• Huangluo Yao Village
• Jiuxian Village
• Longji Ancient Zhuang Village
• Fuli Old Town
• Jiangtou Ancient Village
• Ping’an Zhuang Village

Xingping Ancient Town

Existing for over 1,700 years, Xingping Ancient Town is a major carrier of Guilin’s cultural and natural heritage. Once a thriving port during the Ming and Qing dynasties, its streets and stone houses still echo with tales of tea merchants and river traders. The town’s fame skyrocketed thanks to the 20 RMB viewpoint, where the Li River curves beneath jagged karst peaks—a scene immortalized on China’s currency.

Photographers arrive at dawn to capture mist swirling around Laozhai Mountain, while bamboo rafting trips reveal hidden fishing villages. At night, red lanterns illuminate family-run eateries serving beer fish (a tangy local dish) and sticky rice stuffed in bamboo. Don’t miss the Nine Horses Fresco Hill, a cliffside rock formation said to resemble galloping steeds—best spotted from a riverboat. For a deeper dive, pair your visit with a Guilin Li River cruise.

• Location: 27 km northeast of Yangshuo
• Highlights: 20 RMB viewpoint photography; Sunrise hike up Laozhai Mountain (30 mins); Evening cormorant fishing demonstrations
• Time Needed: 4–6 hours (or stay overnight for twilight serenity)
• Tickets: Free entry; viewpoints (10–20 CNY); rafting (80–150 CNY)
• Opening Hours: 24/7

Recommended Guilin Tours including Xingping Ancient Town :

• 5 Days Guilin Family Tour
• 3 Days Yangshuo Tour: Countryside Cycling & Leisure Hiking

Daxu Ancient Town

Established in the Song Dynasty (960–1279 AD), Daxu Ancient Town still preserves Guangxi’s river commerce history. Its 2.5-kilometer flagstone street, polished smooth by centuries of footsteps, is flanked by wooden shop houses with carved eaves and hidden courtyards.

Don’t miss the Longevity Bridge, a 15th-century stone arch that crosses a quiet branch of the Li River. Locals here will still fish at dawn using traditional nets. Visit the Daxu Museum to discover artifacts like Qing Dynasty opium scales and tools from the old silk trade, or join locals at the morning market for oil tea—a savory Yao minority specialty and sticky rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves.

Artisans also keep traditions alive:  Stop by a workshop to see mahogany combs carved by hand, or try your hand at making sticky rice cakes in a百年老店 (century-old shop). For history buffs, Daxu pairs perfectly with a Guilin cultural tour.

• Location: 23 km southeast of Guilin
• Highlights: Longevity Bridge, Morning market, Traditional comb-making workshops
• Time Needed:2–3 hours
• Tickets: Freeentry
• Opening Hours: 24/7 (market active 6–10 AM)

Recommended Guilin Tours including Daxu Ancient Town :

•     4 Days Guilin Culture and Scenery Tour

Huangluo Yao Village

Tucked into the Longji Rice Terraces, Huangluo Yao Village is home to the Red Yao people, whose women grow hair up to 2 meters long—a tradition tied to their identity. According to legend, cutting one’s hair brings misfortune, so they coil their jet-black tresses into crowns using wooden combs.

Visit the Long Hair Museum to decode this ritual, then join a workshop to learn indigo dyeing or embroidery with geometric patterns symbolizing mountains and rivers.

Time your visit for the Red Yao Hair Festival (March) to see dances where hair becomes a swirling performance prop. The village also serves as a trailhead for hikes through the terraces’ “Dragon’s Backbone”. Stay overnight in a wooden guesthouse to savor bamboo-tube rice cooked over open fires.

• Location: Longsheng County, 100 km from Guilin
• Highlights: Long Hair cultural performances; Terraced field hikes (1–3 hours); Hands-on indigo textile workshops
• Time Needed: Half-day (or longer for hiking)
• Tickets: 80 CNY (included in Longji Terraces entry)
• Opening Hours: 24/7PM
• Recommended tour: 5 Days Guilin Food & Sightseeing Tour

Jiuxian Village

Nestled on the banks of the Yulong River in Baisha Town, Jiuxian Village carries over 1,400 years of history—having been established as the Tang Dynasty’s “Guiyi County” seat in 621 AD. Backed by Fengguan Mountain and surrounded by patchwork rice paddies and fish ponds, this one of China’s first officially recognized Traditional Villages preserves more than 44 Ming- and Qing-era residences with grey brick walls and horse-head gables. Wander under the ancient bell tower, explore the “Secret Garden” courtyard inn, and taste local culture at family-run tea rooms and craft workshops.

• Location: 9 km northwest of Yangshuo, 65 km south of Guilin
• Highlights: Tang-era county seat ruins, Ming-Qing architecture, rice paddies, Secret Garden courtyard inn
• Time Needed:  2–3 hours
• Ticket: Free entry
• Opening Hours: 24/7
• Recommended tour: 4 Days Guilin Highlights Tour with Li River Cruise & Yangshuo Cycling

Longji Ancient Zhuang Village

Carved into the mountainsides of Longsheng, the Longji Zhuang Village (Dragon’s Backbone) is famous for its terraced rice fields. The village’s wooden stilt houses, constructed without nails using ancient methods, perch precariously on the hillsides. Stay overnight to hear elders sing folk songs about harvests and sip fireweed wine—a herbal brew believed to ward off colds. From March to April, travelers can join local farmers in transplanting rice seedlings, a hands-on experience to connect with the land and rural life. If you’re interested in local culture, don’t forget to join the Lusheng Festivals hosted here in February or March, by then the sound of bamboo flutes will fill the valley and traditional dances bring the village to life.

• Location: Longsheng County, 90 km from Guilin
• Highlights: Stilt house homestays; Terraced farming workshops;Evening bonfires
• Time Needed: Half-day (extend for hiking).
• Tickets: 80 CNY (covers Longji Terraces entry).
• Opening Hours: 24/7

  

Fuli Old Town

Fuli Old Town, often called the “Hometown of Painted Fans,” is a riverside village with over a thousand years of history. Located just 8 kilometers east of Yangshuo along the Li River, the town is framed by three surrounding peaks and bordered by water on one side. Known for its hand-painted folding fans, theses exquisite handicrafts feature local landscapes and calligraphy. The town’s history is also reflected in temples, old pavilions, and Qing-era streets once bustling with merchants from Guangdong and Fujian. Don’t miss Daguang Pavilion for riverside views that inspired scenes from the film Liu Sanjie. A short walk away, Donglang Hill offers shifting rock formations that resemble monks, warriors, or maidens, depending on the angle.

• Location: Yangshuo County, 8 km from Yangshuo town
• Highlights: Fan Street and handmade folding fans; Ancient pavilions and temples; Donglang Hill rock formations; Aishan countryside hot springs
• Time Needed: Half-day (or extend for hiking and hot springs)

Jiangtou Ancient Village

Once an intellectual center in the Ming and Qing eras, Jiangtou Village was home to more than 100 scholars and government officials. Narrow alleys weave through the village, leading to the Zhou Family Temple, where stone plaques etched with poems reflect the village’s literary past, and lotus ponds where literati once composed verses. Visit the Ancient Well of Clarity, whose waters villagers still drink, and the Scholar’s Study displaying inkstones and imperial exam papers. In July, the lotus blossoms peak—join locals in harvesting seeds for sweet soups.

• Location: 32 km north of Guilin (50-minute drive).
• Highlights: Confucian heritage sites: Explore ancestral halls with carved calligraphy. Lotus photography: Best blooms in early summer. Guilin’s oldest well: Taste mineral-rich spring water.
• Time Needed: 2 hours.
• Opening Hours: 8:30 AM–5:30 PM

  

Ping’an Zhuang Village

The most accessible gateway to the Longji Terraces, Ping’an is famed for the “Seven Stars Around the Moon”—seven rounded hilltops encircling a crescent-shaped terrace. Stay in a Zhuang-style guesthouse with balcony views, and wake to mist rising from the paddies. April brings the Water Pouring Festival, where villagers splash water to pray for rain, while September’s harvest sees terraces turn gold. Try bamboo tube rice stuffed with mushrooms, or join a cooking class to master chili fish stew.

• Location: Longsheng County (2.5-hour drive from Guilin).
• Highlights: Sunrise at Seven Stars: Reach the viewpoint by 5:30 AM for foggy vistas. Zhuang embroidery lessons. Night markets: Sample wild honey and persimmon cakes.
• Time Needed:Half-day (stay overnight for sunrise).
• Tickets: 80 CNY (Longji Terraces entry).
• Opening Hours: 24/7
• Recommended tour:5 Days Guilin Food & Sightseeing Tour