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Yangshuo Rock Climbing Guide for 2026

Last updated on August 5, 2026
Author:Stephan Bochet

Everything you need for sport climbing in Yangshuo, China: the karst limestone crags of White Mountain, Wine Bottle, Boxing Ring in the Sky, Swiss Wall, Spearhead, The Egg and Bamboo Cave, what is open and what is closed, grades and polish, seasons, e-scooters, SIM cards and VPNs, where to stay and how to get there. Written after a month of climbing here in November, with the full 41 route ticklist included.

The striped limestone wall of White Mountain crag in Yangshuo, ChinaRoof climbing on Jab 7a+ at Boxing Ring in the Sky crag, YangshuoKarst tower above the approach to Twin Gates crag, Yangshuo, ChinaSwiss Wall crag rising over the rice paddies near Yangshuo, Guangxi

Rock climbing in Yangshuo, China 2026

Glossary

Yangshuo sits in Guangxi province in southern China, in a landscape of limestone karst towers that rise straight out of the rice paddies along the Li and Yulong rivers. Those towers hold more than 1,000 bolted sport routes across 40 or more crags, developed from the mid 1990s onwards, which makes Yangshuo the biggest and best known climbing destination in China and one of the most complete in Asia.

This is a sport climbing destination. Bring a rope, sixteen quickdraws and a helmet. There is a small amount of bouldering and some deep water soloing on the river, but the reason to come is the bolted limestone: pockets, tufas, huecos and long vertical crimping, from beginner slabs up to hard steep 8s.

The town itself is built around visitors, and a corner of it is built around climbers. You can walk from your hostel to a coffee shop, ride an e-scooter fifteen to forty minutes to a crag, and be back for dinner on West Street. Everything below comes from a month spent doing exactly that in November, plus the notes and the logbook that came out of it.

Pros and cons

ProsCons
Over 1,000 bolted sport routes across 40+ karst crags, from beginner grades to hard 8sThe classics are heavily polished: White Mountain, East Gate and the Swiss Wall especially
A printed guidebook exists, and Maps.me already has the crag locations pinnedCrags open and close without notice. Riverside is shut over an ownership dispute and Moon Hill is closed to climbing
Crags are 15 to 40 minutes from town on an e-scooter that costs 20 to 30 RMB a dayThe Great Firewall: a Chinese SIM breaks most VPNs and blocks services hosted outside China
A whole town of climber accommodation: Climbers Inn, a hotel with a wall, two with MoonboardsAvoid the first week of October. Golden Week fills every hotel and train months ahead
Easy to find partners at Demo Bar quiz night, Climbers Inn or just at the popular cragsRock quality is inconsistent: hollow flakes, crumbly huecos and the occasional rusty or spinning bolt
Bamboo Cave and White Mountain stay dry, so rain does not end the tripWine Bottle, the Swiss Wall and Lei Pi Shan get genuinely crowded on good weekends
Deep water soloing, river cruises, caves and good coffee for rest daysYou need Alipay or WeChat Pay working before you arrive, because cash is barely accepted
Cheap once you are there: dorms from around 70 RMB, an e-scooter for 20 to 30 RMB a day, noodles for a few RMBLanguage barrier. Outside the climbing hostels English is limited, and in the low season it can be genuinely hard to find an English speaking partner
Trip.com handles hotels and trains on a foreign passport, which removes most of the booking frictionApp barrier. You need an app for almost everything, they are not the apps you use at home, and several have no English translation

I. Why climb in Yangshuo?

Yangshuo town street with a karst tower in the cloud at dusk, Guangxi, China

Description

Yangshuo at dusk. The karst towers are not a backdrop you drive to, they start at the end of the street.
Limestone karst tower above the fields on the approach to Twin Gates crag, Yangshuo

Description

Typical approach: a footpath through the fields to the base of a free standing tower. Most walk-ins are five to fifteen minutes from where you park.
Swiss Wall crag above the rice paddies near Yangshuo, Guangxi, China

Description

The Swiss Wall sits directly above the paddies. Belaying with this view is a large part of why people keep coming back.
View over Yangshuo town and the surrounding karst from the radio tower hike

Description

The radio tower hike above town. From up here you can pick out most of the crags in this guide.

The short answer is density and variety. Within a forty minute radius of one small town there are more than forty crags, and they are genuinely different from each other: steep tufa and hueco caves at Boxing Ring in the Sky, long vertical crimping at Wine Bottle, technical polished faces at White Mountain, big juggy overhangs at Riverside, and beginner friendly multi pitch length routes on the Swiss Wall.

The second answer is infrastructure. Yangshuo has been a climbing town for three decades. There is a printed guidebook, an established hostel scene, gear rental, guides, e-scooter rental on every corner, and enough visiting climbers that finding a partner takes an evening rather than a week. Almost nowhere else in Asia combines that with this much rock.

Is Yangshuo a sport climbing or a bouldering destination?

Sport climbing, overwhelmingly. The bouldering is incidental, and the deep water soloing is a novelty day rather than a reason to come. If you are travelling with pads and no rope, this is the wrong destination.

II. The guidebook, topos and finding the crags

The Yangshuo Rock printed climbing guidebook, the standard guide to the Yangshuo crags

Unlike most climbing areas in Asia, Yangshuo has a real printed guidebook, sold in the climbing hostels and shops in town. Buy it. It covers far more crags than any app, the topos are accurate, and the approach descriptions are the part you will actually use.

For getting to the crag, Maps.me is the tool that works: it already has most of the crag locations pinned, it works offline, and it is not affected by the firewall. Use Amap for driving directions in general, and treat theCrag as a route database rather than a navigation tool.

Routes carry both Chinese and English names, and the two do not always agree with each other or with the guidebook. On theCrag the English names are community contributed translations, some of which are rough or outright crude, so do not be surprised when a classic has an unfortunate name in one language and a perfectly ordinary one in the other. For how the seasons work across the rest of the country, see the China climbing seasons page.

III. Grades, rock and climbing style

Yangshuo is graded in the Yosemite Decimal System, which is unusual for Asia and catches out a lot of visiting European climbers. The guidebook and theCrag both use 5.10a, 5.11d, 5.12a and so on. Most people from outside North America will be thinking in French sport grades, so here are the anchors used throughout this guide:

YDSFrenchWhat it feels like here
5.95cWarm ups and beginner routes, usually the most polished lines at a crag
5.10a to 5.10d6a to 6b+The bread and butter of the Swiss Wall, Twin Gates and Wine Bottle
5.11a to 5.11d6c to 7aWhere most of the three star classics sit
5.12a to 5.12d7a+ to 7cSteep cave climbing at Boxing Ring, and the hard boulder problem cruxes

You can convert any grade on the sport climbing grades table.

The rock

Hard grey and orange karst limestone. The style changes completely between crags, but three things are constant across the area:

  • Polish. Thirty years of traffic on a soft-ish limestone has left the popular lines genuinely slick. White Mountain, East Gate and the Swiss Wall are the worst offenders. Expect footwork to matter more than it does on your home rock.
  • Sharpness. The unpolished rock is the opposite problem. Several routes at White Mountain, on the Chocolate Side of the Swiss Wall and at Wine Bottle are razor sharp, and skin is the limiting factor on a long trip more often than fitness.
  • Variable quality. Hollow flakes and crumbly sections are common on the newer and the less travelled lines. A helmet is not optional here, and a tight belay through the first few bolts of a steep hueco route is sensible.

Route length runs from 15 m to 32 m for most things, with the odd long outlier: Xin Jiang Black at Twin Gates is 45 m. A 70 m rope is the practical minimum and an 80 m is more comfortable.

IV. The crags of Yangshuo

There are more than forty crags. Below are the ones worth planning a trip around, each with the routes I climbed there in November so you can calibrate what to expect. Star ratings and quality verdicts are my own, logged on theCrag at the time.

A. White Mountain (白山)

The main striped limestone wall of White Mountain crag, Yangshuo, China

Description

The main White Mountain wall. Steep grey and orange limestone with black streaks, sunny for most of the day.
The corridor of orange and grey limestone at White Mountain crag, Yangshuo

Description

The corridor section. Orange streaked limestone with deep pockets, and trees close enough to the base to give some shade in the afternoon.
Climber on a steep orange limestone sport route at White Mountain, Yangshuo

Description

The steeper orange rock takes big holds. 5.11a Face Route (6c) is the three star pick of the crag.
Climber pulling on pockets in orange limestone at White Mountain crag, Yangshuo

Description

Pocket pulling on the orange rock. This is the friendlier half of White Mountain, before the polish takes over.
Climber traversing under a roof band at White Mountain crag, Yangshuo, China

Description

Traversing out under the roof band. Several of the harder lines here break through this feature.
The large cave and arch feature at White Mountain crag in Yangshuo

Description

The arch at the left end of the crag. This is the part that stays dry, which is why White Mountain is a good call when it rains.
Climber high on the upper wall of a 7a route at White Mountain, Yangshuo

Description

The upper wall of the same 7a. The angle eases but the holds get smaller and more polished.
Climber on Aiding and Abetting 7a at White Mountain crag, Yangshuo

Description

两面双刀 Aiding and Abetting, 7a (5.11d), 25 m of technical climbing on small polished holds.
Overhanging limestone with a climber high on a route at White Mountain, Yangshuo

Description

Higher on the wall the angle kicks back. Routes here are 20 to 28 m, so a 70 m rope handles everything comfortably.

The most varied crag in the area and the one I came back to most. It runs from steep climbing on big jugs to small crimps and delicate technical faces, all on the same wall. It is also heavily polished and sunny all day, which makes it a November to December crag, and honestly better when it is cloudy or drizzling. Much of it is protected from rain.

Routes I climbed here: 岩面线路 Face Route 6c (5.11a) is a three star classic and the one to do; 橘子花香 Tangerine Blossom Fragrance 6a and 腊八 Laba 6b are good warm ups; 石狗 Stone Dog 6b+; 两面双刀 Aiding and Abetting 7a; 大太阳直上 Big Sun Direct 7a+. The hardest thing I touched here was 管理混乱 Management Flaws 7b+ (5.12c): a great boulder problem, but the section above the crux is surprisingly hard, razor sharp and dirty.

B. The Egg (鸡蛋山), Northeast Face

The Egg crag in Yangshuo, a pocketed limestone tower with large huecos

Description

The Egg, part of the White Mountain group. Deep huecos and pockets through the middle of the face.
The northeast face of The Egg crag, Yangshuo, China

Description

The Northeast Face holds the best routes: short, powerful and boulder-problem driven rather than sustained.
The base of The Egg crag with belay area, Yangshuo

Description

Flat, shaded base area. A comfortable crag to spend a whole day at, unlike some of the steeper hillside approaches.

A short walk from White Mountain and worth combining with it. The Northeast Face is compact and powerful: 18 to 22 m routes built around single hard sections rather than sustained pump.

Routes I climbed here: Final Decade 6b+ is the warm up. New Decade 7a+ (5.12a) is a classic with a boulder problem that is much easier once you find the good toe hook. The Way to Helldurado 7c is easy climbing up to what felt like a V7 boulder problem, then easy climbing again, so it is worth a look if that suits your style and worth skipping if it does not.

C. Swiss Wall (瑞士墙): Cheese Side and Chocolate Side

Bamboo grove at the entrance to the Swiss Wall Cheese Side crag, Yangshuo

Description

The bamboo grove at the entrance doubles as the gear-dumping and hanging-out spot. Shaded, flat, and the easiest crag base in the area.
The Swiss Wall crag above rice paddies with karst towers behind, Yangshuo

Description

The wall runs above the paddies and catches sun in the afternoon. Chocolate Side is around to the left of Cheese Side.
Looking down a long sport route on the Cheese Side of Swiss Wall, Yangshuo

Description

Looking back down a 27 m Cheese Side route. Most lines here are 27 to 32 m, so check your rope length and knot the end.

Known locally as Cheese and Chocolate, this is the beginner and intermediate crag, and it is the one that gets crowded. Everything for a first time visitor is here, plus a handful of harder lines around the corner on Chocolate Side. The rock is polished and very sharp at the same time, which is a strange combination to climb on.

Routes I climbed here. Cheese Side: Captain Kirk Eats Bruchetta 6a+ (28 m), Lomito Complito 6a (27 m), 死扣 Wishful Kiss 6b+ (29 m, first pitch is good and the second looked too dirty to bother with), and 三扎之恋 6b which has a great boulder problem off the ground but bad rock quality up top: watch for hollow blocks. Chocolate Side: 旅游伙伴 The Traveling Alone 6c is 32 m, three stars, and the best route on this side of the hill; 锅边素 6c is another 32 m line and rather more ordinary.

D. Wine Bottle (酒瓶山)

Wine Bottle crag in Yangshuo with climbers on the vertical grey limestone wall

Description

Wine Bottle is a long vertical wall rather than a cave. Expect crimping and footwork, not jugs.
Climber crimping on a vertical route at Wine Bottle crag, Yangshuo

Description

The style throughout: small edges, positive but not generous, on rock that is grippier than White Mountain.
Close view of a climber on small crimps at Wine Bottle crag, Yangshuo, China

Description

长城 The Great Wall, 7a (5.11d), is the three star line here and a superb onsight.
Climber making a long reach between crimps at Wine Bottle crag, Yangshuo

Description

The pink and grey rock here is noticeably sharper than it looks. Tape and a file earn their place on a long trip.
Climber high stepping on a vertical wall at Wine Bottle crag, Yangshuo, China

Description

Footwork over pulling. Wine Bottle rewards patience on the feet more than any other crag in this guide.
The vertical wall at Wine Bottle crag, Yangshuo, with routes up to 7a+

Description

Grades run up to about 7a+. It is close to town and it gets very crowded on good weekends.
The belaying area at the base of Wine Bottle crag, Yangshuo

Description

The belay area is narrow and sits right under the wall. With a few parties on the go it fills up fast, which is the main argument for an early start.

Good vertical climbing on crimps, with grades topping out around 7a+. Close, convenient and consequently very crowded — turn up early or accept queuing on the popular lines.

Routes I climbed here: 长城 The Great Wall 7a (5.11d) is the standout, three stars and a great onsight. Happy Ending 6b+, Mumma's Gem 6a+ and 烦心事 Infernal Affairs 6c fill out a day. Empty Jug 7a is worth a burn. Avoid Carbonic Acid Trip 6a+: I backed off it because of a rusty, spinning bolt.

E. Riverside (思龙山) — closed at the time of writing

Riverside is closed to climbing at the time of writing, because of an ownership dispute. Ask at Climbers Inn or in the Yangshuo Facebook group before you plan a day here.

Riverside crag in Yangshuo, a tall limestone wall above the river

Description

Riverside sits directly above the road and the river, which is what made it the most convenient crag in Yangshuo.
The main wall at Riverside crag, Yangshuo, with steep overhanging limestone

Description

The main wall: big overhangs on generous holds on one half, polished technical crimping on the other.
Climber resting on Dragonfly 7a+ at Riverside crag, Yangshuo

Description

蜻蜓 Dragonfly, 7a+ (5.12a). Only 15 m, but with two distinct cruxes and a rest between them.
Climber pulling through the first crux of Dragonfly 7a+ at Riverside, Yangshuo

Description

Pulling into the first crux on Dragonfly. Three stars, and the route most people came to Riverside for.
Climber at the upper crux of Dragonfly 7a+ on the steep wall at Riverside, Yangshuo

Description

The second crux, above the rest. Fifteen metres does not sound like much until you are here with nothing left in your forearms.
The overhanging prow at Riverside crag with climbers at the base, Yangshuo

Description

The prow at the steep end of the crag, with the road and the parking directly underneath. Convenience like this is rare.
Climber on an easier 6a route at Riverside crag with belayer below, Yangshuo

Description

The easier end of the crag. 秋裤 Thin as Panties, 6a, is the obvious warm up.
The cafe at the base of Riverside crag in Yangshuo, China

Description

The cafe at the base. Riverside was a paid crag: a day pass, three day or six day pass bought here.

When it was open, Riverside was arguably the best crag in Yangshuo: very good overhangs on big holds at one end and very good technical climbing on polished crimps at the other, all a few metres from where you park. It ran on a paid access model with day, three day and six day passes sold at the cafe below the wall.

Routes I climbed here: 蜻蜓 Dragonfly 7a+ and 脑残地步 7a+ are both three star classics, and 虚伪的新闻 #fakenews 7a is a longer 28 m version of the same idea. 火烧黄蜂 Flaming Hornets 7b+ and 月亮 Moon 7b+ both shut me down — Moon has a good boulder problem where I could not get the left hand deadpoint out of the kneescum at the second bolt. 流氓窝 The Dusty Bolt 6c (30 m) and 秋裤 Thin as Panties 6a are the easier picks.

F. Spearhead (飞镖山)

Karst tower of Spearhead crag seen from the parking area, Yangshuo

Description

Spearhead from the parking. Part of the SiLong group, on the same side of the valley as Riverside.
The main wall at Spearhead crag, Yangshuo, China

Description

Clean grey limestone with pockets and edges. Routes here are around 25 m.
Climber on a sport route at Spearhead crag near Yangshuo

Description

金银珠宝 Precious Gem, 6b+ (5.10d). The single best route I climbed in Yangshuo.
Climbers and belayers at the base of Spearhead crag, Yangshuo, China

Description

The belay area runs along the foot of the wall. Even on a good day it never felt busy compared to the crags nearer town.
Sport routes and trees at the base of Spearhead crag, Yangshuo

Description

Shaded base with trees. A good crag for a hot day, and much quieter than Wine Bottle.

Small, quiet and home to the best single route of my trip. If you only have time for one of the SiLong crags and Riverside is shut, come here.

Routes I climbed here: 金银珠宝 Precious Gem 6b+ (5.10d) is the only route in my whole logbook I rated Mega Classic — 25 m, three stars, and an onsight that is worth travelling for at that grade. 丢掉蛋黄 Drop your Yolk 7a+ is the harder three star line next to it.

G. Boxing Ring in the Sky (空中拳击台)

Boxing Ring in the Sky crag in the GaoTian valley near Yangshuo

Description

The crag sits high above the GaoTian valley. The walk in is the steepest of the crags in this guide.
Climber on the roof section of Jab 7a+ at Boxing Ring in the Sky, Yangshuo

Description

直拳 Jab, 7a+ (5.12a): roof climbing into a really good steep section.
Climber pulling on a tufa feature on Jab at Boxing Ring in the Sky, Yangshuo

Description

Tufa and hueco pulling low on the route. The rock through here is the crumbly section worth being careful on.
View of the karst landscape from the roof of Boxing Ring in the Sky crag, Yangshuo

Description

Hanging off the lip with the whole valley underneath. This is the crag people photograph.
Climber turning the lip of the roof on Jab at Boxing Ring in the Sky, Yangshuo

Description

Turning the lip of the roof, which is where 直拳 Jab stops being a roof problem and becomes steep face climbing.
Steep hueco climbing on Jab at Boxing Ring in the Sky crag, Yangshuo

Description

Huecos and tufas through the steep ground. Everything here is newly bolted compared to the older crags.
Panorama of the GaoTian valley from Boxing Ring in the Sky crag, Yangshuo

Description

The GaoTian valley from the crag. The steep walk in buys you this for the whole day.
Roof climbing under the main overhang at Boxing Ring in the Sky, Yangshuo, China

Description

There is also a boulder problem in the cave, which is a good way to fill the gaps between burns.

The best crag in Yangshuo for hard steep climbing, and the newest of the ones here. Overhangs, roofs, big moves between huecos, and a grade range that is heavily weighted towards the 7a+ and up bracket. There is also a boulder problem in the cave.

Routes I climbed here: 直拳 Jab 7a+ is roof climbing into a really good steep section. 主赛事 The Main Event 7b (5.12b) has excellent movement but crumbly, sketchy rock through the huecos on the first three bolts — take a tight belay there. 全力以赴 Full Throttle 7b+ beat me on the boulder problem getting out of the room. 交朋友 Frying Up Friendships 6a is the token easy route.

H. The White Cliff (白岩), Yulong River

The White Cliff crag above the Yulong River near Yangshuo, China

Description

Clean white and grey limestone in the Yulong River valley, away from the busier crags.
The main wall of The White Cliff crag, Yangshuo, with vertical technical routes

Description

Technical vertical climbing that gets progressively harder towards the top of each route.
Sport routes on the White Cliff crag seen through trees, Yangshuo

Description

Both routes I did here were three star Classics. A genuinely underrated crag.

Quieter than the SiLong and Corridor crags, and the two routes I did here were both Classics — an unusually high hit rate. Technical vertical climbing that ramps up steadily rather than throwing one hard move at you.

Routes I climbed here: 占有 Possession 6c (28 m, three stars) is very good and fine as a warm up, but watch the rope going behind your right leg on the move above the last bolt. 螳螂攀 Screaming Mantis 6c+ gets progressively harder to a thin crux that felt more like 7a than its grade.

I. Twin Gates / East Gate (同门山)

The approach path to Twin Gates crag in Yangshuo with a horse rider passing

Description

The walk in to Twin Gates. The crag is close to the JinBao confluence, north of town.
The base and gear area at Twin Gates crag, Yangshuo, China

Description

Flat, tree-lined base area with room to spread out. Easy to spend a full day here even if only a few routes are worth repeating.
Climbers on the East Wall at Twin Gates crag, Yangshuo, China

Description

The East Wall holds the routes worth doing, including the 45 m Xin Jiang Black.
Climber on the lower section of a 6b+ route at Twin Gates, Yangshuo

Description

The lower slab. Grey, featured and much less polished than the sections higher up that see all the traffic.
Climber on the upper wall of a route at Twin Gates crag, Yangshuo

Description

Higher up on the same line. On a 45 m route like Xin Jiang Black you are a long way above the belayer by this point.
Climber high on a 6b route on the East Wall at Twin Gates, Yangshuo

Description

Very polished rock. Trust your feet more than feels reasonable and it goes fine.
The karst tower above Twin Gates crag near Yangshuo, Guangxi

Description

The tower above the crag. Twin Gates is also known as East Gate, and both names turn up in the guidebook and on theCrag.

Very polished, with a handful of good routes. Worth a day rather than a week, and the main draw is the length: Xin Jiang Black is 45 m, which is long by Yangshuo standards and a genuine rope length consideration.

Routes I climbed here: Xin Jiang Black 6b (5.10c, 45 m) is the reason to come. Da Pi Gu 大屁股 5c is a fine warm up. Skip Blood 6b+ — I logged it "Don't Bother" and stand by that.

J. Bamboo Cave (竹帘洞), TianJia River

Bamboo Cave crag near the TianJia River, Yangshuo, China

Description

Bamboo Cave, on the TianJia River. Shady all day and protected from the rain.
The entrance to Bamboo Cave crag through the trees, Yangshuo, China

Description

The cave mouth from the approach path. Easy to walk past if you are not looking for it.
The overhanging roof section of Bamboo Cave crag, Yangshuo

Description

The overhang keeps the rock dry through a downpour, which is the whole point of this crag.
The shaded cave and wall at Bamboo Cave crag near Yangshuo

Description

Because everyone else has the same idea, Bamboo Cave is at its busiest exactly when it rains.

The rain day crag. Shady all day and protected from the rain, which means it is also the busiest crag in Yangshuo the moment the weather turns. If you have a wet week, plan around this and White Mountain.

Routes I climbed here: Flying the Bird 6c+ (25 m).

K. Other crags, and the closures

Treasure Cave crag in the karst hills near Yangshuo, China

Description

Treasure Cave, one of the many cave crags dotted through the hills around town.
Moon Hill, the famous karst arch near Yangshuo, now closed to climbing

Description

Moon Hill: the most famous piece of rock in Yangshuo, and closed to climbing. Still worth the walk for the view.
  • Treasure Cave. A cave crag in the hills, worth a look if you are working through the area systematically.
  • Lei Pi Shan. The crag I did not get to and heard about constantly. Word is that it holds the best 7b routes in the area, along with a spread of harder lines, and that it has become the proving ground for anyone climbing at that level — if you are trying to break into 7b (5.12b), this is reportedly the place. The flip side of that reputation: it gets extremely crowded, the belay area is small, and the popular lines are polished from the traffic. Go early. I have not climbed here, so take the guidebook and whoever you meet at the base over me.
  • Moon Hill (月亮山). The famous arch, and closed to climbing. It is the image on every postcard of Yangshuo and it is on every visiting climber's list, so it is worth saying plainly. Walk up it instead.
  • Riverside (思龙山). Closed over an ownership dispute, as above. Check locally before counting on it.

V. My Yangshuo ticklist: 41 routes in November

Everything below was climbed between 3 and 27 November 2025 and logged on theCrag at the time: 41 routes across 11 crags, from 5c to 7c. Of those, 14 went first try onsight and 8 were flashes, which says more about how generous the easier grades are here than about me. The 5 retreats are the honest part of the list: two of them were rock quality rather than difficulty.

Star ratings are theCrag's and the quality column is my own verdict on the day. Route names appear as they do in the database, Chinese first where both exist.

RouteFrenchYDSCragLenStyleVerdict
橘子花香 Tangerine Blossom Fragrance ★★6a5.10aWhite Mountain21mFlashVery Good
岩面线路 Face Route ★★★6c5.11aWhite Mountain28mFlashClassic
大太阳直上 Big Sun Direct ★★7a+5.12aWhite Mountain17mRetreatGood
石狗 Stone Dog ★★6b+5.10dWhite Mountain24mOnsightGood
两面双刀 Aiding and Abetting ★★★7a5.11dWhite Mountain25mHang dogAverage
Da Pi Gu 大屁股 ★★5c5.9Twin Gates, East Wall20mOnsightGood
Xin Jiang Black ★★6b5.10cTwin Gates, East Wall45mFlashVery Good
Blood ★★6b+5.10dTwin Gates, East Wall20mFlashDon't Bother
蜻蜓 Dragonfly ★★★7a+5.12aRiverside15mHang dogClassic
火烧黄蜂 Flaming Hornets ★★★7b+5.12cRiverside18mRetreatVery Good
秋裤 Thin as Panties ★★6a5.10aRiverside16mFlashVery Good
虚伪的新闻 #fakenews ★★★7a5.11dRiverside28mHang dogClassic
脑残地步 ★★★7a+5.12aRiverside15mHang dogClassic
Happy Ending ★★6b+5.10dWine Bottle25mOnsightGood
Carbonic Acid Trip ★★6a+5.10bWine Bottle26mRetreatDon't Bother
长城 The Great Wall ★★★7a5.11dWine Bottle25mOnsightClassic
Empty Jug ★★7a5.11dWine Bottle25mRetreatGood
交朋友 Frying Up Friendships ★★6a5.10aBoxing Ring in the Sky22mOnsightGood
直拳 Jab ★★7a+5.12aBoxing Ring in the Sky—Hang dogClassic
主赛事 The Main Event ★★★7b5.12bBoxing Ring in the Sky—Hang dogClassic
全力以赴 Full Throttle ★★7b+5.12cBoxing Ring in the Sky—Hang dogAverage
流氓窝 The Dusty Bolt ★★6c5.11bRiverside30mFlashVery Good
月亮 Moon ★★7b+5.12cRiverside25mRetreatVery Good
Lomito Complito ★★6a5.10aSwiss Wall, Cheese Side27mOnsightAverage
死扣 Wishful Kiss ★★6b+5.10dSwiss Wall, Cheese Side29mOnsightVery Good
锅边素 ★★6c5.11bSwiss Wall, Chocolate Side32mHang dogAverage
占有 Possession ★★★6c5.11aThe White Cliff28mOnsightClassic
螳螂攀 Screaming Mantis ★★6c+5.11cThe White Cliff20mFlashClassic
金银珠宝 Precious Gem ★★★6b+5.10dSpearhead25mOnsightMega Classic
丢掉蛋黄 Drop your Yolk ★★★7a+5.12aSpearhead25mHang dogClassic
Flying the Bird ★★6c+5.11cBamboo Cave25mHang dogVery Good
Captain Kirk Eats Bruchetta ★★6a+5.10bSwiss Wall, Cheese Side28mOnsightVery Good
三扎之恋 ★6b5.10cSwiss Wall, Cheese Side27mOnsightAverage
旅游伙伴 The Traveling Alone ★★★6c5.11aSwiss Wall, Chocolate Side32mOnsightClassic
Final Decade ★★6b+5.10dThe Egg, NE Face18mOnsightVery Good
New Decade ★★7a+5.12aThe Egg, NE Face22mHang dogClassic
The Way to Helldurado ★★7c5.12dThe Egg, NE Face22mHang dogAverage
Mumma's Gem ★★6a+5.10bWine Bottle15mOnsightGood
烦心事 Infernal Affairs ★★6c5.11aWine Bottle25mHang dogAverage
腊八 Laba ★★6b5.10cWhite Mountain15mFlashVery Good
管理混乱 Management Flaws ★★7b+5.12cWhite Mountain20mHang dogVery Good

One note on names: theCrag's English route names are community contributed translations and a few of them are crude or offensive in English. Where that is the case above, only the Chinese name is shown.

VI. Deep water soloing, bouldering and boards

The Li River near Yangshuo where deep water soloing and paddleboarding trips run

Deep water soloing runs on the river and is normally organised through Climbers Inn or one of the other climbing hostels, usually combined with a paddle or a boat out to the walls. It is a good rest day rather than a serious climbing objective, and it is weather and water level dependent.

Bouldering is thin on the ground. The most worthwhile problem I found was the one in the cave at Boxing Ring in the Sky, which is a good way to spend the time between redpoint burns.

Boards and walls are surprisingly well covered for a town this size, and they are all attached to accommodation: Rockabond has a climbing wall, Singsing has a Moonboard, and Rockseeker B&B has a Moonboard and a spray wall on the roof. Handy for a rainy afternoon or for keeping fit on a rest day.

VII. Climbing seasons and weather

  • October and December are the best months. Cool, dry and stable, which is great for the polished limestone here.
  • Avoid 1 to 7 October. Golden Week is the busiest travel week in China. Hotels and trains sell out months in advance, and the tourist spots are unusable.
  • November is the sweet spot in practice. Everything in this guide was climbed in November, and conditions were good throughout.
  • The rest of the year is rainy or hot, but always climbable. There is no dead season here, just a shift in which crags make sense.
  • Rain plan: Bamboo Cave and White Mountain both stay dry. Expect company at both.
  • Sun plan: White Mountain is sunny all day, so save it for the cool months or a cloudy day. Bamboo Cave and Spearhead hold shade.

For the broader picture across the country, see the China climbing seasons page.

VIII. Gear, rental and guides

  • Rope: 70 m minimum, 80 m preferred. Routes are commonly 25 to 32 m and Xin Jiang Black is 45 m. Knot the ends.
  • Quickdraws: 16. Several routes have more bolts than you would expect for their length.
  • Helmet: yes. Hollow blocks at the Swiss Wall and crumbly huecos at Boxing Ring are the specific reasons.
  • Stick clip: useful, especially on the polished lines where the first moves are the slickest.
  • Skin care: tape and a file. The sharp routes at White Mountain will end your trip early otherwise.
  • Kneepads: worth packing for the steep huecos and tufas at Boxing Ring and Riverside.
  • Brush: the polished holds genuinely benefit.

Gear rental, route advice and guided days all run through the climbing hostels, and Climbers Inn is the established option. It is the original climbers' hostel in Yangshuo, run by Lily, who has been giving people beta here for a very long time. Do not count on buying replacement gear in town beyond the basics.

IX. Finding climbing partners

Easier here than almost anywhere. In rough order of how well it works:

  • Demo Bar. Hosts quiz night and live music, and it is where the foreign climbers end up. Start here.
  • Climbers Inn. Permanently full of people looking for someone to go climbing with tomorrow.
  • The Yangshuo Facebook group. The standard board for partner requests and current crag conditions.
  • Any of the climbing hotels. Rockabond, Singsing, Rockseeker and Sudder Street all have climbers passing through.
  • The popular crags themselves. Turn up at Wine Bottle or the Swiss Wall and talk to people. It works.

X. Transportation and getting around

Riding through Yangshuo town on the way to the climbing crags, Guangxi, China

A. E-scooters

You can only rent e-scooters here, not petrol motorbikes. They cost 20 to 30 RMB per day and every hotel has them, as do the many rental shops around the main town and on the Climbers Inn street.

The one thing to ask for: a long distance bike. Battery range is the constraint that ruins climbing days, and the further crags are at the edge of what a standard rental will do there and back.

B. Navigation apps

  • Amap. The best for navigation. Gives traffic light countdowns and is generally the easiest to use.
  • Baidu. The best for finding restaurants and shops, but not English friendly.
  • Maps.me. The crag finder. It already has the crag locations in it and works offline.

XI. SIM cards, VPN, payments and apps in China

This is the part that catches out climbers who have travelled everywhere else in Asia, so it is worth reading before you book anything.

A. SIM cards and the firewall

A China based SIM card puts you behind the Great Firewall. Most VPNs, NordVPN included, will not work on one, and you will not be able to reach websites hosted outside China. Foreign SIM cards are not blocked by the firewall in the same way, but you will still want a VPN, because some services are blocked to users inside China regardless of the SIM.

What worked for me: a travel eSIM covering Hong Kong and mainland China, activated in Hong Kong, with NordVPN on top. Roaming data from your home provider also avoids the firewall, and buying a roaming travel SIM in a neighbouring country such as Thailand and using it in China is a well established workaround.

Mobile data in China

An eSIM gives you mobile data as soon as you land, with no SIM shop and no roaming bill. You install it on your phone before you fly and keep your own SIM for calls and texts. Saily covers China, and the small plans cost a few dollars. Check that your phone supports eSIM first.

A foreign eSIM is not behind the Great Firewall in the same way a Chinese SIM is. Install it before you fly.

Affiliate link. It costs you nothing extra.

B. Payments and must-have apps

  • Alipay and WeChat are effectively mandatory. Set both up and link a card before you fly — cash is barely used, including at the crag cafes and scooter rentals.
  • Amap for navigation, Baidu for restaurants and shops, Maps.me for the crags.
  • Trip.com is the practical booking channel for foreigners, for hotels and trains.

XII. Going beyond climbing

Tourist boat and bamboo rafts on the Li River near Yangshuo, China

Description

The Li River cruise. Touristy and worth doing once — this stretch of river is the one on the 20 yuan note.
Bamboo rafts and river activities on the water near Yangshuo

Description

Bamboo rafting and river photo shoots run all day. An easy half day off the rock.
Karst landscape seen from the radio tower hike above Yangshuo

Description

The radio tower hike is the best cheap viewpoint over town, and a short enough walk to do on a rest day.
Coffee shop with laptop tables next to Climbers Inn in Yangshuo

Description

The coffee shop next to Climbers Inn, set up for working on a laptop. Useful if you are climbing on a long trip.
Terrace of a coffee shop five minutes walk from Climbers Inn, Yangshuo

Description

Another good one five minutes walk from Climbers Inn, with a terrace over the street.
A bowl of Guilin rice noodles, the local dish in Yangshuo, China

Description

Guilin rice noodles, the regional dish and the default cheap breakfast before a crag day.
Western breakfast restaurant in Yangshuo town, China

Description

For when a month of rice noodles has run its course. There are several good western breakfast places in town.
West Street in Yangshuo town with shops and karst hills behind

Description

West Street, the tourist centre of town. Loud in the evenings and useful for anything you forgot to pack.
A quiet Yangshuo street in the morning before the shops open

Description

The same streets first thing in the morning, before the tour groups arrive. This is when to ride out to the crag.
Yangshuo town at dusk with karst mountains in the background

Description

The other side of town, away from West Street, where most of the climbing accommodation sits.
  • Demo Bar. Quiz night, live music, and the social centre of the foreign climbing scene.
  • Li and Yulong river. Cruises, bamboo rafts and paddleboards. The classic Yangshuo day off.
  • The radio tower hike. Short, steep and the best view over the town and the crags.
  • Moon Hill. Closed to climbing, but the walk up to the arch is still worth doing.
  • Caves. The karst is riddled with them and several are set up for visitors.
  • Cafes and coworking. Climbing mornings and laptop afternoons is a viable pattern here.

The Li River cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo is worth booking ahead in high season. Bamboo rafting on the Yulong is easy to sort on the day. You can book Li River cruises here.

XIII. Accommodation and where to stay

The part of Yangshuo town next to Climbers Inn, where most climbers stay

Stay in or near town. Yangshuo is small enough that everything is within a few minutes of everything else, and the climbing accommodation is clustered together, which is exactly what you want when you are looking for partners. Trip.com is the booking platform that works for foreigners here — I used it for hotels.

  • Climbers Inn Yangshuo

    Guangxi Province

    The original climbers' hostel in Yangshuo. Run by Lily, who provides personalized climbing advice. Gear rental, guided trips, and a strong international climbing community. From ~$10/night. Private rooms and dorms, and the best place in town to find foreign climbing partners.

  • Rockabond Hotel

    Yangshuo town

    Climber-focused hotel in town with its own climbing wall on site. Good for training on rest days or when it rains.

  • Singsing Hotel

    Yangshuo town

    Hotel in Yangshuo town with a Moonboard on site.

  • Rockseeker B&B

    Yangshuo town

    B&B with a Moonboard and a spray wall on the rooftop. Listed on Xiaohongshu rather than the international booking sites.

  • Sudder Street Hotel

    10 minutes walk from town

    Very social atmosphere with a steady trickle of climbers, about ten minutes walk from the centre of town.

    Not listed online — book on arrival or ask at the crag.

Trip.com links are affiliate links. They cost you nothing extra and help keep these guides free.

Rough price guide:

  • Hostel dorms: from around 70 to 120 RMB per night (about 10 to 17 USD)
  • Private rooms and hotels: from around 150 to 400 RMB per night (about 21 to 56 USD)
  • Long stays: most of the climbing hostels will do a monthly rate — ask directly rather than booking online

Climbers Inn also appears in our best climbing hostels guide.

XIV. Visas and entry to China

China does not have a general visa on arrival for tourists. You either qualify to enter visa free, or you arrange a visa before you fly.

This is the section most likely to be out of date by the time you read it. Chinese entry policy has moved a lot since 2024 and the current visa free scheme is explicitly temporary. Everything below was checked in August 2026 and is a starting point for your own research, not a substitute for it — confirm against the official sources at the end of this section before you book anything.

A. Visa free entry, 30 days

The one most climbers will use. China's unilateral visa free policy covers around 50 countries, with the UK and Canada added on 17 February 2026, and roughly another 29 countries have mutual visa exemption agreements — about 79 nationalities in total. Ordinary passport holders get up to 30 days for tourism with no application and no fee: you turn up and enter.

Most of Western and Central Europe, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Brazil and much of South America are covered. The United States is not. Neither are India, Pakistan, Bangladesh or the Philippines. The unilateral scheme currently runs to 31 December 2026, so if your trip is after that, check whether it has been extended again.

Thirty days is comfortable for a climbing trip. It covers the whole of the good October to December window with room for rest days and a slow exit.

B. The 240 hour visa free transit, 10 days

A separate scheme, and the one that matters most to Americans and anyone else not on the 30 day list. Around 55 nationalities can enter for 240 hours, ten days, provided they hold an onward ticket to a third country or region — you must be passing through, not doing a return trip to where you came from.

The good news for this guide: Guilin Liangjiang (KWL) is an eligible entry port, and the permitted area in Guangxi covers Guilin prefecture, which is where Yangshuo sits. So flying into Guilin on a transit itinerary and climbing for ten days is legitimate.

The catch is that ten days is tight for Yangshuo. Allowing for arrival, weather and one rest day you get perhaps six or seven climbing days, which is enough for two or three crags rather than the area. The "third country or region" rule is also where people come unstuck, particularly on Hong Kong routings, since Hong Kong counts as a separate region — get your specific itinerary confirmed before you buy the tickets.

C. A tourist visa in advance (L visa)

If neither of the above applies, or you want longer than 30 days, apply for an L visa at a Chinese visa application service centre before you travel. Expect to need your passport, the application form, a photo, return flights and hotel bookings, and sometimes an invitation letter. Processing is typically four to seven working days, so do not leave it to the last fortnight.

D. The arrival card — everyone, every time

Since 20 November 2025 almost every foreign visitor must complete the China Digital Arrival Card before clearing immigration. Entering visa free does not exempt you. It is free, it is one card per passport, and you can do it in advance through the National Immigration Administration website or app, or on arrival by scanning the QR code at the border. Any site charging you a processing fee for it is a scam.

Check these before you book

Rules change, and they have changed repeatedly over the last two years. Treat the official channels as the only authority, and check the one for your own nationality:

XV. Getting to Yangshuo

High speed train at the platform for the Yangshuo to Guangzhou route, China

Yangshuo has no airport of its own. There are three sensible ways in, and the high speed rail network makes the longer ones far less painful than they sound.

  • Via Guilin (the simplest). Fly into Guilin Liangjiang International Airport (KWL), then it is about a 1 hour taxi, van or bus to Yangshuo.
  • Via Hong Kong. Fly to Hong Kong, take the 3.5 hour high speed train to Guilin station, then 1 hour 20 to 1 hour 30 by taxi, van or bus to Yangshuo. Worth considering because Hong Kong is often much cheaper to fly into, and it is a good place to activate a travel eSIM.
  • Via Guangzhou. Fly to Guangzhou, take the 2.5 hour high speed train direct to Yangshuo station, then about 40 minutes by taxi into town.

Book trains well ahead around Golden Week and Chinese New Year. Trip.com handles rail bookings for foreign passports, which is simpler than the domestic apps. You can book China trains here.

Flying to Guilin

Guilin Liangjiang (KWL) has good domestic coverage and a reasonable spread of regional international routes, and it is the closest airport to the crags.

Flights to Guilin:

XVI. Travel insurance

Lead falls on polished limestone, the occasional hollow block, and an e-scooter as your daily transport: check that your policy actually covers sport climbing and riding a scooter with whatever licence you hold. Medical care in China is good but paying up front is normal, so having cover that reimburses properly matters. At the time of writing I use SafetyWing Nomad Insurance for climbing trips.

Insurance that covers climbing

Most standard travel policies exclude rock climbing, and a lot of them exclude riding a scooter too. Check your own policy first — and if it does not cover you, this is the one I use.

  • Covers sport climbing, which most standard travel policies exclude
  • Covers riding a scooter, provided you hold the right licence
  • Emergency medical and evacuation cover, and you can buy it after you have already left home

Affiliate link. It costs you nothing extra, and I only recommend cover I have bought myself. Always read the policy wording for your own activities.

Yangshuo climbing FAQ

Is Riverside crag in Yangshuo open?

No. Riverside (思龙山) is closed to climbing at the time of writing because of an ownership dispute. It used to run on a paid day, three day or six day pass. It is one of the best crags in Yangshuo, so ask at Climbers Inn or in the Yangshuo Facebook group before travelling, since the situation can change.

Can you climb Moon Hill in Yangshuo?

No. Moon Hill, the famous karst arch that appears in every photo of Yangshuo, is closed to climbing. It is still worth walking up for the view, but the routes through the arch are off limits.

Do I need a VPN in Yangshuo?

Yes, if you want your usual apps. The catch is that a Chinese SIM sits behind the Great Firewall and breaks most VPNs, including NordVPN. A foreign SIM or a travel eSIM roaming into China is not filtered the same way, so buy an eSIM covering Hong Kong and mainland China, activate it outside the mainland if you can, and run a VPN on top of it. Set up Alipay and WeChat Pay before you fly.

When is the best time to climb in Yangshuo?

October and December are the best months. Avoid the first week of October, which is Golden Week, the busiest travel week in China, when hotels and trains sell out months in advance. November is an excellent compromise. The rest of the year is either rainy or hot, but there is almost always something climbable, and Bamboo Cave and White Mountain stay dry in the rain.

What rope do I need for Yangshuo?

A 70 m rope is the practical minimum and 80 m is safer. Routes are commonly 25 to 32 m, and Xin Jiang Black at Twin Gates is 45 m. Bring 16 quickdraws, a helmet for the crumbly and hollow sections, and knot the ends of the rope.

Do I need a visa to climb in Yangshuo, China?

China has no general visa on arrival for tourists, so you either qualify to enter visa free or you arrange a visa before you fly. As of August 2026 around 79 nationalities can enter visa free for up to 30 days, which is plenty for a climbing trip, and a separate 240 hour transit scheme gives about 55 nationalities ten days if they hold an onward ticket to a third country. Guilin Liangjiang airport is an eligible transit port and the permitted area covers Yangshuo. Everyone else needs an L tourist visa in advance. Separately, almost all visitors must complete the free China Digital Arrival Card before immigration, even when entering visa free. These rules change often, so confirm with the National Immigration Administration and your nearest Chinese embassy before booking.

How many climbing routes are there in Yangshuo?

More than 1,000 bolted sport routes spread across 40 or more limestone karst crags, from beginner slabs to hard steep 8s. Yangshuo is a sport climbing destination: bring a rope rather than pads.

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Route names, grades, lengths and star ratings in this guide come from theCrag and from my own logbook of 41 ascents in Yangshuo in November 2025. Crag character, access notes and the closures come from the same trip. Access, fees and closures change here more than in most places, so check locally before committing to a crag, and treat the printed guidebook as the authority on anything I have not climbed.

Thanks for reading. If this guide helped you plan a trip to Yangshuo, or if you find something here that has changed on the ground, I would genuinely like to hear about it.

Planning when to go

This guide covers what the climbing is like. For the timing, our season pages break the year down month by month.

Questions or feedback?

If you have any questions or feedback, feel free to reach out [email protected]. I would love to hear from you!

Disclaimer

Rock climbing is an inherently dangerous activity and can result in serious injury or death. Everything in this guide is for educational and entertainment purposes only, and describes what I found on a particular trip at a particular time. Grades are subjective, and route conditions, bolts, anchors, fixed gear, approaches, access permissions, fees and closures all change without notice. Nothing here is a substitute for the current guidebook, local knowledge, your own assessment of the rock and your own judgement on the day. Always seek professional instruction, check conditions and access locally before you climb, and climb at your own risk.

By reading and relying on this guide you agree to our Terms of Use and Disclaimer. If you spot something out of date or wrong, please let us know so it can be corrected.

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