Discover Guilin and Yangshuo
Xianggong Hill
相公山
A properly developed viewpoint hill above a double bend in the Li River, reckoned by Chinese landscape photographers to be the best sunrise spot in the whole region. On a misty morning the peaks float above the river like an ink painting.
The story
What makes this place special
Xianggong Hill is a karst peak on the west bank of the Li River in Xingping township, between the Huangbu Daoying reach - the 20-yuan-note view - and Nine Horses Fresco Hill. It has no particular historical monument on it; it exists in the itinerary purely as a viewpoint, and it became one relatively recently, as photographers looking for a high angle over the river's biggest bend found it and the local authorities built steps and terraces.
What you’ll discover
A short climb of stone steps - reported at roughly fifteen to twenty minutes to the top, on a graded staircase that older visitors and children manage - to a set of stacked viewing terraces, described as four levels a couple of metres apart. From the top you look down on the Li River making a wide S-bend between ranks of karst towers, which is the single most expansive view of the river available from land, and the standard shot of mist layered between the peaks at dawn is taken from here.
A little local insight
Good to know before you go
- This is a sunrise hill and nothing else. The terraces face east over the river, so the dawn mist and the sun coming up between the peaks is the view; the sunset buses that some operators sell do not actually deliver a sunset from the top because of the aspect.
- You need transport and it is the hard part. Xianggong is on the west bank, which is the side with no road from Xingping, so you go by minibus on a dedicated route; the usual arrangement is a pre-dawn shuttle from Yangshuo with the entry included. Arrange it the day before - you cannot improvise this at 5am.
- Mist is the point and it is seasonal and weather-dependent. Still mornings after rain, especially in spring and autumn, produce the layered cloud; a clear dry morning gives you a good view but not the photograph.
- Bring a torch for the steps if you are going up before first light, and a layer - it is cold and damp on the terraces before sunrise even in warm months.
- If you only have one morning and want the river from above, choose Xianggong over Laozhai Hill. Laozhai, above Xingping, is a steeper and rougher scramble with a less complete view.
When to come
Pre-dawn, arriving on the terraces twenty or thirty minutes before sunrise. Spring and autumn for mist; the view is weakest in midday light at any season.
Getting around
Not accessible. The only way up is a stone staircase of several hundred steps with handrails in places, and although it is graded and short there is no lift, no cable car and no vehicle access to the terraces. A wheelchair user cannot reach the viewpoint. A visitor with a mildly bad knee can usually manage it slowly because the climb is short, but it is stairs the entire way and the descent in the dark is the harder half.
Worth knowing before you go
The path is stepped and easy the whole way, unlike most of the local viewpoint hills. Go for sunrise, not sunset, and check the fog forecast - clear blue sky is actually the worst condition here.
Compare established providers
Check live tours and tickets
Search for Xianggong Hill in Guilin and Yangshuo. Prices, availability, payment and confirmation are handled by the booking provider.
China Travel Select does not take payment or create the reservation. Confirm the exact name, dates, inclusions and cancellation rules on the provider’s page.
Take a closer look
Maps, videos & more
Prices and hours change. These are the places to check on the day.
