Streets & City Life
Guilin’s streets and neighborhoods reveal a more everyday side of the city, with local food, lively pedestrian streets and evening entertainment. This guide covers the places worth adding to your itinerary, along with time needed, how to get there, and useful tips for your visit.
Shijiayuan dinner
Shijiayuan is a popular local food street where Guilin residents come for affordable and varied local snacks. Compared with more commercial areas such as Zhengyang Pedestrian Street, you can find a wider selection of everyday local food here, making it a great stop for foodies
Try some local favorites such as sticky rice, Guilin rice noodles, Luosifen 螺蛳粉 (snail rice noodles), Qingbuliang 清补凉 (a chilled coconut-based sweet soup), and Suan Ya (pickled fruits and vegetables).
Suggested time: 1.5–2 hours
Tips:
- Not sure what to order? Look around at what other customers are eating and follow their choices, or ask the owner which dishes are their specialties. Choosing a busy shop can also be a good way to find popular local dishes.
- Many restaurants use a WeChat QR code at the table for ordering and payment, and the interface is usually only available in Chinese. If you have trouble ordering, ask the staff for help.
Yangshuo at Night: Show or West Street
West Street is the easiest option if you want a relaxed evening. You can walk around, grab dinner, browse the shops, and enjoy the lively atmosphere without committing to a fixed schedule.
If you’d prefer a cultural experience, there are several performances to choose from:
- Golden Dragon Parade— a lively traditional parade that takes place on weekends and public holidays. Check the schedule and purchase tickets through the i游阳朔(iTour Yangshuo) mini program on wechat before you go.
- Impression Sanjie Liu— a large-scale outdoor performance that combines the Li River and surrounding karst landscape with local music and culture.
- Qianguqing — another large-scale performance fits for people prefer a more theatrical show, with stories, elaborate stage design, special effects and a faster-paced performance.
All three performances are relatively expensive, so I wouldn’t say you need to see any particular one. Choose based on what kind of evening you prefer—or simply head to West Street and keep your evening flexible.
East-West Alley & Zhengyang Pedestrian Street
East-West Alley and Zhengyang Pedestrian Street are two connected commercial streets near Elephant Trunk Hill. Zhengyang Pedestrian Street is better for food, while East-West Alley is more popular for photos, sightseeing, and souvenir shopping. Prices tend to be higher near the entrances and major tourist spots, so it’s better to walk deeper into the surrounding streets for more reasonably priced meals.
Suggested time:1.5-3h