Nestled 70km south of Guilin in the thick of China's most spectacular karst scenery, YANGSHUO , meaning Bright Moon, rose to prominence during the mid-1980s, when visitors on Li River cruises from Guilin realized that beyond simply spending an hour here buying souvenirs, the village made an excellent place to settle down and get on intimate terms with the river and its peaks. Yangshuo has grown a bit since then, but the atmosphere remains essentially the same, and with Guilin orientated firmly towards big-spending tour groups, so independent travellers - an increasing number of them Chinese - have made Yangshuo their haven instead. It's an ideal spot to cocoon ruffled nerves: hills surround everything, village lanes swarm with market activity, and there are restaurants and accommodation everywhere. You can rent a bike and spend a day zipping between hamlets, scale the peaks, study calligraphy or tai ji or just relax in the village park.