How to experience Yangshuo, China, like a local – beyond its famous karst mountains

Better known as Monkey Jane, Lai Zhengxiu began catering to the needs of backpackers following the “banana pancake trail” from Southeast Asia to China’s Guangxi region in 2005, when she opened a hostel with a rooftop bar and a hedonistic reputation in the centre of Yangshuo town.

“After I had my daughter, I decided to close it,” says Lai, who moved to the countryside to raise a family in 2019, but now runs Monkey Jane’s Café and Hostel, from an old brick house located on the banks of the Li River, about 12km from town.

“We’re midway between Yangshuo and Xingping Ancient Town, in a village called Pubutang [literally ‘waterfall pond’]. Our new hostel is more relaxed, it’s not for partying. Many people come here on e-bikes and stop for a drink on the way to the waterfall.”

Tiger Mountain Waterfall is one of her recommend­ations for visitors looking to experience Yangshuo county’s natural charms. The attraction is on a road “too small for cars”, 1.5km up the Li River from Monkey Jane’s, which has become the de facto jumping off point for those looking for a Yangshuo-style shower.

“There are very few tourists and the hike to the waterfall is amazing; we call it an outdoor Shangri-La in Chinese. It takes about an hour and a half to go from my hostel and back. I can help people get a taxi to Yangshuo if they are staying in town.”

Yangshuo’s signature dish is beer fish, a wok-cooked carp marinated in ginger, garlic and Liquan beer brewed in nearby Guilin. However, restaurants serving beer fish have multiplied across the county in recent years, chiefly catering to sightseers, so it pays to choose wisely.

Lai recommends Liping Beer Fish, on Longyue Road, for authentic delicacies, including her favourite, stuffed river snails. “The food is good and they don’t charge tourist prices,” she says. “I used to take my customers there all the time when I lived in town.”