Rong County

Zhenwu Pavilion, the nail-free 'masterpiece of the South', and Duqiao Mountain, a Danxia peak sacred to Taoism, alongside Yulin's Yuntian Cultural City, Gaoshan Ancient Village, Darong Mountain and Yulin's beef jerky and raw rice noodles.

Yulin & Rong County lie in southeastern Guangxi. Yulin is the main city of the region, and Rong County is about 55 km to its northeast, with Beiliu city in between. The area has a subtropical monsoon climate: spring and autumn are the best times to visit, summers are hot, humid and rainy, and winters are mild. Yulin can be reached by high-speed train or by flying into Nanning or Beihai and transferring; since the Nanning–Zhuhai high-speed railway opened, Rong County and Beiliu also have bullet-train service.

Rong County is known as China's home of Shatian pomelos and is a famous hometown of overseas Chinese. The classic 'three famous sights' day trip covers Zhenwu Pavilion, the 'masterpiece of the South', the Danxia peak of Duqiao Mountain, and Guifei Garden in the hometown of Yang Guifei; in autumn you can pick Shatian pomelos at orchards such as Shatian Village in Songshan Town. In Yulin itself, highlights include the palace-style Yuntian Cultural City and Gaoshan Village, an ancient village of Ming and Qing buildings, while the Wucai Tianyuan farm park east of the city is good for spring flowers. Beiliu has the Goulou Cave and the Danxia landscape of Tongshi Ridge; Darong Mountain north of Yulin is the place for rhododendrons, sunrises and summer cool; and Xielu Villa in Luchuan County to the south is a showcase private garden of the Republican era.

Allow 2–3 days: one in Rong County, one for Yulin city and Gaoshan Village, and one for Darong Mountain or Beiliu. Yulin's food is worth the trip in its own right, with signature dishes such as beef jerky (niuba), raw rice noodles (shengliao fen), meat-egg balls and Luchuan pork trotters. Most sights cater to local visitors, so driving or hiring a car is easiest; entry prices at some sights are as posted on site.

Top sights

• Zhenwu Pavilion – A Ming-dynasty timber pavilion known as 'the finest wooden structure in southern China,' built without a single nail, with four inner pilla…
• Duqiao Mountain – A famous Danxia mountain about 10 kilometers south of Rongxian town, a Taoist 'Twentieth Cave Heaven' filled with cave temples and cliff in…
• Guifei Garden (Yang Guifei's Hometown) – Said to be the birthplace of Yang Guifei in Yangwai Village, Rongxian. Guifei Garden recreates her life story and includes relics such as Y…
• Shatian Pomelo Origin Village – The source village of 'China's Shatian Pomelo Hometown.' Pomelo groves bear fruit in autumn, and visitors can pick and taste authentic Shat…
• Yuntian Cultural City – A large complex of palatial art buildings in Yulin's urban area, known for its wood carvings, stone carvings and displays of traditional Ch…
• Gaoshan Ancient Village – A nationally recognized historic and cultural village north of Yulin, with clusters of well-preserved Ming and Qing ancestral halls, old ho…
• Darong Mountain National Forest Park – A national forest park on one of southeastern Guangxi's highest peaks. Azaleas bloom in spring, summers are cool, and sunrise over the clou…
• Goulou Cave – A Daoist 'Twenty-Second Grotto-Heaven' on the outskirts of Beiliu, with karst cave wonders and legends of Ge Hong's alchemy.
• Tongshiling Resort – The red Danxia rock formations and Han-dynasty copper-smelting site on Beiliu's eastern outskirts, with a cable car to the top for views ov…
• Xielu Villa – A Republican-era private garden in Luchuan County, built into the hillside and making use of the natural scenery. It is one of the represen…
• Wucai Tianyuan Agricultural Park – A modern specialty agricultural demonstration zone east of Yulin, with flower fields, a cherry blossom garden and farm cycling trails that…
• Luchuan Hot Spring – A hot spring resort in the county town of Luchuan, known as 'China's Hot Spring Hometown.' Water emerges above 50°C from dozens of indoor a…