Hezhou, East Guangxi
Huangyao Ancient Town 黄姚古镇
A 1,000-year-old town of stone lanes and karst, still lived in.
- Region
- Hezhou, East Guangxi
- How long
- 1 day (overnight to catch the empty mornings)
- Best time
- March to May, September to November
- Climate
- Mild and green, 12-27°C; spring and autumn are the sweet spots
What is there to see in Huangyao Ancient Town?
- -Dragon Bridge
- -Stone lanes and ancestral halls
- -Riverside tea houses
- -Courtyard guesthouses
- -Huangyao tofu
What it was like on the ground
We arrived at Huangyao late afternoon and walked the lanes as the day-trippers left, and the town exhaled. A woman sold us rice wine from a jar in her doorway; the Dragon Bridge glowed at dusk. The next morning at 7 AM the lanes were empty but for a man washing vegetables in the river, and it was the most peaceful hour of the whole trip. Huangyao is the antidote to Yangshuo's West Street.
How do you get to Huangyao Ancient Town?
Huangyao sits in eastern Guangxi near Hezhou, reachable from Guilin or Yangshuo in a half day.
By train: Hezhou has high-speed rail from Guilin (1h, CNY 60); then a 1-hour bus to Huangyao.
By air: No airport; arrive via Guilin or Hezhou by rail, then connect by bus.
What should you eat in Huangyao Ancient Town?
Huangyao tofu (黄姚豆腐) CNY 20-40
Soft, faintly smoky tofu made with local spring water. Fried, steamed or in soup, it is the town's edible signature.
Fermented rice wine (米酒) CNY 10-30
Sweet homemade rice wine sold from courtyard doorways. Buy a bottle and drink it on the bridge.
A sample day in Huangyao Ancient Town
Overnight
- Afternoon: arrive, wander the stone lanes as day-trippers leave
- Evening: rice wine on the Dragon Bridge
- Morning: empty lanes at 7 AM, then depart
Where should you stay in Huangyao Ancient Town?
Old town courtyard inns (CNY 150-400) — Converted stone houses inside the ancient lanes, the reason to stay overnight.
Riverside guesthouses (CNY 200-500) — Stays facing the river and the Dragon Bridge, quiet after dark.
Is Huangyao Ancient Town right for you?
Worth it for
Ancient-town lovers, slow travelers, photographers of old stone and water
Skip it if
Travelers who have had their fill of Chinese old towns; it is quiet, not action-packed
Know before you go
Overnight or nothing
Huangyao as a day trip from Guilin means sharing the lanes with busloads. Sleep over and the town is yours.
Cobblestones are uneven
The stone lanes are beautiful and ankle-testing. Wear flat, sturdy shoes.
Huangyao Ancient Town FAQ
1 day (overnight to catch the empty mornings). Best suited to: Ancient-town lovers, slow travelers, photographers of old stone and water.
March to May, September to November. Mild and green, 12-27°C; spring and autumn are the sweet spots.
Hezhou has high-speed rail from Guilin (1h, CNY 60); then a 1-hour bus to Huangyao.
Huangyao tofu (黄姚豆腐) — CNY 20-40; Fermented rice wine (米酒) — CNY 10-30.
Old town courtyard inns: CNY 150-400; Riverside guesthouses: CNY 200-500.
Other places in Guangxi
- Guilin 桂林 The karst landscape that put China on the postcard
- Yangshuo 阳朔 Karst peaks, bamboo rafts and the slowest pace in China
- Longji Rice Terraces 龙脊梯田 Zhuang and Yao villages carved into the steepest terraces on earth
- Beihai & Weizhou Island 北海涠洲岛 China's youngest volcanic island and a beach break without the crowds
- Chongzuo & Detian Waterfall 崇左德天瀑布 Asia's largest transnational waterfall on the Vietnam border
- Liuzhou 柳州 The birthplace of luosifen, the noodle soup that took over the world
- Bama & Hechi 巴马河池 The 'longevity village' and Guangxi's karst secret world
Planning the whole region? See all Guangxi destinations, the ready-made itineraries, the food guide and the best time to visit.