Once, I read a travel magazine and found a story about Yangshuo. The author writes that it is a place that can make you forget yourself.

I don't want to forget myself, but I was still touched and decided to visit the place.

Yangshuo is a small city near Guilin of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. It is famous as a scenic spot. But these days,it has become even more famous because the director, Zhang Yimou, who found the actress Zhang Ziyi, designed a large-cale performance set on the Lijiang River near Yangshuo.

The price for a good seat for the performance is 600 yuan (US$75), but by spending 50 yuan (US$6) and sitting on the side of the stage, you can also see the dancing and singing clearly, if you have a telescope.

But, compared with the flamboyant performance, I prefer the casual and comfortable street life in Yangshuo. The place,which is only one hour's drive from Guilin,has everything you can imagine: cafes,bars, restaurants, sports places, small stores selling strange but cute articles.Have a cup of tea and sit in the sunshine for a whole afternoon; you can chat with friends, with passers-by, or just sit without thinking or talking and enjoy a beautiful afternoon.

Xijie (West Street) is an ancient street in the city and a must to see. The 517-etre-
long street, paved with stone boards, accommodates many stores, bars and cafes.

Most stores are ordinary, selling articles you can see in most other tourism spots. But one, selling batiks, is quite interesting to me. A big piece of beautifully coloured batik, which can be taken as table cloth, is sold at 70 yuan (US$9), not expensive.

Some CD stores have a wide selection of music discs, all foreign singers' albums. You can always find one or two of your favourite singers.

But what is most attractive in the street to me, of course, is the dining places.There
are many cafes and restaurants providing Western food. According to the large number of expat diners there, the Western cuisine is quite classical and tasty.

There is a restaurant named "Meiyou Fandian" (literally meaning "Not Have Restaurant"), which actually has almost everything from hotpot to steaks, from coffee to ice cream.

Biking is an economical way to travel around Yangshuo, and many places in the West Street provide bicycles for hire. The renting fee is only 10 yuan (US$1.2) per day.

First, you can bike to Yueliang Shan (Moon Mountain). It is a 9-kilometre distance, and a very pleasant ride. Riding out of West Street, you can see a wide road,then ride along the road. After about one hour, you can see the Moon Mountain Park. The mountain looks like a crescent-shaped moon, hence the name. The beautiful villages,rivers, bridges and fields along the road are really fresh to a person who has been living in the concrete jungle for too many years.

Another classical route is hiking along the Lijiang River. The section of the river from Xingping to Yangdi is very beautiful and appeared in many paintings.

Bring some water, and start hiking.The route is very simple - just along the Lijiang River. Walk and walk; if there is no road in front of you, then you should cross the river. If you are hungry, just sit down and take some snacks. Some local villagers are very warm-hearted and willing to provide hot water and fruit, for free. But some bridges and villages have set toll gates,which makes me a little upset.

No matter how slow you walk, you can finish the route in a whole day.