West Street

What it is

West Street is the oldest street in Yangshuo and the reason the town has a reputation beyond its scenery. It is a narrow lane packed with cafes, restaurants, boutiques, hostels and souvenir shops — and unusually for a Chinese tourist street, a good number of the cafes are run by foreigners who came for a week and stayed for years. Locals call it the Global Village.

What it is not

It is not an ancient monument. Most of the fabric has been rebuilt, and the atmosphere at 9 pm in August is closer to a festival than to a Ming dynasty street. If you want the quiet old-town experience, go to Xingping instead — or walk West Street at 7 am, when it is just a street again.

What to do

Eat. Yangshuo beer fish — carp braised with beer, chilli and tomato — is the local dish and is genuinely good, best at the unpretentious places with plastic stools. Then find a rooftop bar and look at the karst peaks behind the rooftops, which is the thing that makes this street worth its reputation.

What to look for

• Yangshuo beer fish, at any of the open-fronted restaurants
• The rooftop bars, for the karst skyline above the roofs
• The morning market before the shops open
• The riverside at the west end, where the street meets the Li

Getting there

In the centre of Yangshuo town, five minutes' walk from most hotels. Cars cannot enter the street itself; the driver drops you at the nearest junction.

Best time to go

Evening, when it is lit and busy. Morning if you want to see it without crowds. Avoid the first week of May and October, when it is shoulder-to-shoulder.

Practical notes

• Cars cannot enter West Street — arrange the drop-off point with your driver in advance.
• Prices on the street are tourist prices; the lanes behind are cheaper and better.
• If you dislike crowds, go at 7 am. It is a completely different place.

Questions about West Street