Trail: Putao - Zhouzhai - Shikou - Shangri-La
Walking time: 41/2 hours.
Difficulty: easy.
Food/water:
Neither restaurant nor shop is found along the trail.
Access:
From Yangshuo bus station, take any bus heading for Guilin or Yangdi (Y5), tell the driver to drop you off at Putao.
To quit Shangri-la, stop any bus on the Guilin-Yangshuo highway, with direction to Yangshuo.
Route mark: No mark at all. Ask locals for the direction.
Description:
From Putao, it's about 11/2 hours to Zhouzhai. Follow the main road, pass Putao village, take the road turning to the right. Houses gradually give way to rice fields. (see left photo no.1). Later, you will see a waterwheel whirling water from a pond to the land for irrigation.
Alternative: take a tractor or moto taxi from Putao to Zhouzhai (around Y5).and start to walk from Zhouzhai.

Arriving at Zhouzhai, cross the Wangfu bridge(see photo no. 2), turn to the right, and follow the narrow path along the right hand of the bank for 200 meters, you will discover a beautiful landscape (see photo no. 3). Continue with the path along the river, you will discover this beautiful house (see photo no. 4) nestled at the foot of a limestone hill, one of few houses painted in white. In less than 15 minutes, you will arrive the next village Shikou.(see photo no. 5)

Cross the bridge of Shikou over Yulong river from the village, and go strait, don't turn to the left as it will bring you back to Putao in the north.
Head for east, this trail is used by locals to access the Guilin-Yangshuo highway. In 45 minutes, you will reach the first junction. The wider path turning to the right will bring you to Shangri-La. The narrow trail in the bush goes to the highway.

Shangri-La is a park recently built along Yulong river for attracting mass tourists, with ethnic minority dances and craftwork. Expensive entrance fee (Y40). In front of the park, you can easily find a bus back to Yangshuo.

Written by Suyun in 2003.