Xingping to Shawan Fun Day Trek: Unknown Guilin Attractions

Perfect for a day trek and very off the beaten path, the hike from Xingping to Shawan town was probably my favorite activities while in Guilin, China. Although there are lots of Guilin attractions to consider, I'd highly recommend this one for anyone looking to spend a day admiring a commonly unknown Guilin attraction. You can also check out my overview of all hikes in the Guilin area.

I stayed at This Old Place hostel in Guilin, where I was first made aware of the hike to Shawan town with some decently clear instructions on how to get there in a binder full of hikes--thank you hostel! Since then, I recommended the same hostel to a friend, where she was unable to find this hiking binder and the man behind the desk didn't know what she was talking about - so, here's my full list of instructions on how to arrive at Shawan town from Xingping town. 

Big Picture Hiking Directions

For all you big picture folks, here's what you want to seep in mind: for the first part of the journey from Xingping town you want to follow the river away from Xingping. Therefore, if you do get a little lost and get on a path that starts taking you away from the river, stop and re-assess. Even as you start ascending up towards Shawan, you'll still follow the river for the first part -- but eventually the path will turn right and take you away from the river for perhaps 45 minutes, where you'll arrive at a viewpoint and be able to see the river again (and the town of Shawan). 

The total hike should take between 4 to 5 hours there and back, 6 hours at most. I highly recommend bringing a lunch and some snacks, as well as water of course, because the town of Shawan is tiny and may not have any options for you. 

Step-by-Step Directions to Shawan

And, for all you detail-oriented folks, here's the nitty gritty of the hike. 

Step 1: Take the Xingping Ferry across

Xingping is centered right on the river (and also where the picture of the Chinese 20 yuan note was taken). To start your hike, take the ferry across, leading you away from Xingping. The ferry only costs 5 yuan each way and runs consistently throughout the day. 

Step 2: The Farmlands

Once you step off the ferry, walk straight. The path will turn to dirt and start taking you through farms--continue to stay straight. Eventually, the path will lead you to the main road (that's paved)--there you will turn right. After approximately 20 minutes on the main road, you'll have to make a left (I believe this is the first left I saw, but can't 100 percent confirm). Here, the paved path almost immediately turns to gravel, and there's a little store on the left hand side that you'll see right before the left turn.

Step 3: Reach the Nunnery

After you make the left, continue straight and cross a little bridge--after the bridge, stay on the path that goes left. Five minutes later, at a crossing with a stone placard, stay straight to go to the nunnery--if you wish to skip the nunnery, you can go right and up the steps to continue to Shawan. However, I recommend you stop briefly at the nunnery and closer to the entrance there are also more steps that will take you to the same path, so you don't have to even backtrack. 

Step 4: The Ascent

After going up the steps this is where the path will start to turn away from the river (although not before you can get a gorgeous view of it, pictured above). After this nice picture area, you'll go up a few rock steps, and here make a veer left and continue straight. You'll reach a 4-way crossing-- there will be a stone bridge on the right-hand side. Continue straight. You will pass a few houses where the road briefly becomes paved, but it will quickly turn back into a dirt path. At the next crossing make a left (this crossing has a brick hut on your right hand side). Essentially, you want to go up. Once you reach the top, you'll see a clearing, where there's a valley and (surprise) the river below. This is where the small town is located!

At the top, you'll reach a fork -- the right road is paved and the left not. I took the left and made my way down towards the town, which you can see, but I believe that both paths would take you down and into the town. 

Shawan town: a quaint Guilin attraction

To be completely honest, if you're tired from the ascent and just want to gave at Shawan from above, you could do that and have a rest and then turn around to get back to Xingping. 

Shawan is very small, and when I explored it I saw mostly farmers. In fact, I didn't see a single shop or restaurant while I was there, which is why this unknown Guilin attraction will keep you far away from all the other tourists! I brought my own lunch, so I had no issues stopping and eating what I had brought. 

The way back to Xingping

Basically, follow the above directions to get back to Xingping from Shawan, but in reverse. You'll be more centered in where you are and how to get back, and remember--you want to follow the river. Take the ferry back over to Xingping, and you're all set!

Additional Guilin Attractions to Recommend

If you love hiking in Guilin, click to read my full blog post to know where else you can go in Guilin, Xingping and Yangshuo. Or, if you like biking, another hit attraction is biking the 10-Mile road in Yangshuo. 

If you're interested in other hiking and outdoor options in China, you can look into:

Hiking Emei Shan in Sichuan

A Guide to Hiking in Shenzhen

Trekking Qingcheng Back Mountain in Sichuan

Exploring Wulong Area in Chongqing

Or, visit the China Homepage to see all posts, conveniently broken down by provinces (because we all know China is huge!)