Lijiang, Li Jiang, Li: these are all names that identify the same river as southern China, which flows in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
It originates from the Maoer Shan (Cat Mountain) in Xingan County, north of Guilin, and runs south for about 437 kilometres, crossing the cities of Guilin, Yangshou, Pingle and Zhaoping, to meet the Xi River (West) in Wuzhou.
The 83-kilometre stretch between Guilin and Yangshuo is a fresco of the most authentic side of the country, with green and gentle panettone hills, which seem to come out of a shan shui painting (literally "mountain and water"), from some distant dynasty.
The typical image of the Li River portrays it immersed in a fog that makes the contours of the landscape evanescent. Usual panorama from April to June, a period perhaps not suitable for navigation, but ideal for immersing yourself in an unparalleled atmosphere (and without fear of heavy rainfall).