Itinerary Summary

12 Day Xinjiang Cultural & Landscape Photography

A Symphony of Peaks, Grasslands, Cultura &l Landscapes 

Focus: Alpine Landscapes, Cultural, Golden Hour Mastery, Kanas, Cultural Topography

Date: Sept 18^th – Oct 29^th

Sept 18^th Day 1: Urumqi

Welcome to Urumqi Airport  and transfer to the htoel

Sept 19^th Day 2: Urumqi – S101

Urumqi – Road S101 – Local Family Visiting

Shooting the Danxia landform along the national defense provincial road S101 along the way.

Pano Road S101，Cannon Mark IV, 24-105mm F4

Pano Road S101，DJI Mavic 4 Pro, F2

With extraordinary limestone landscapes, spectacular rice terrace and a colourful array of minority peoples, Guilin is one of China's most fascinating landscape photography destinations for the photographer. Landscape photography is, without a doubt, one of the most famous members of the disciplined family of Straight Photography.

Pano Lake Sunset, Connan 5D IV, 24-105mm F4

DAY 1：WELCOME TO GUILIN

Depart from

Guilin Airport

High Speed Train Station

Welcome to Guilin!

We will be holding your name at the arrival area in the airport or High Speed Train Station

Check in at hotel

Photography Highlights: Lake Sunset + Night View Shooting

Lake View, Connan 5D IV, 24-105mm F4

Guillin

Pano Lake Sunset, Connan 5D IV, 24-105mm F4

Guillin

Lake View, Connan 5D IV, 24-105mm F4

Guillin

DAY 02： GUILIN TO LONGJI

Photography Highlights:Guilin Wetland Sunrise, Longji Rice Terraces Sunset Blue Hour

Check out at hotel in the early morning.

Drive about 1 hour toTianxin Villageto shootsunrise with ancient stone bridge + farmer + buffalo.

Guilin Wetland Sunrise

Tianxin Village is a relatively remote shooting paradise for the photographyer. It is 35 kms far away from Guilin city. In the early morning without tourists, you can shoot and create freely, but occasionally there are some local photographers. The Local farmer ware the old Palm leaves raincoat with the buffalo will be waiting for you even in the early morning.

Pano Guilin Wetland Sunrise, Connan 5D IV, 24-105mm F4

Guillin

Pano  Guilin Wetland Sunrise, Connan 5D IV, 24-105mm F4

Guillin

Zhuangyuan Bridge

With a long cultural history and beautiful idyllic scenery, it has been greatly appreciated bymany photographers. but more and more photographers and tourists come to Zhuangyuan Bridge for photo and making the unknown Tianxin Village more famous. There are two stone bridges in the Zhuangyuan Bridge, which has been discovered by photographers in recent years and has become one of the photography highlights in Guilin.

Guilin Wetland Sunrise, Connan 5D IV, 24-105mm F4

Guillin

Guilin Wetland Sunrise, Connan 5D IV, 24-105mm F4

Guillin

Drive to Longji rice terraces

According to the road and weather conditions, expect to arrive at the ticket office of Longji Terrace ScenicSpot in 2-3 hours, and then continue to drive for 50 minutes to Longji Terrace Ping‘an Village.

Check in at hotel

Longji (Dragon's Backbone) Terraced Rice Fields

Longji (Dragon's Backbone) Terraced Rice Fields received their name because the rice terraces resemble a dragon's scales, while the summit of the mountain range looks like the backbone of the dragon.

Rise Terraces Sunrise, Connan 5D IV, 24-105mm F4

Longji

We continue hiking for about 30 minutes and we will arrive at theNine Dragons and Five Tigers Viewing Point, which provides the most magnificent view of the Longji Terraces Scenic Area. There you can see nine ridges like nine dragons stretching out to the horizon alongside five hillocks resembling five tigers guarding this place. The terraces are like ribbons coiling around the hills from the bottom to the top.

Rise Terraces Blue Hour, Connan 5D IV, 24-105mm F4

Longji

Rise Terraces Milky Way, Connan 5D IV, 16-35III mm F2.8

Longji

Half hour back to the hotel

DAY 3:Longji Rice Terrace Sunrise

Photography Highlights: Seven Star With Moon Sunrise, Family Visiting,Rice Terraces Sunset

Climb about 15mins with well stone steps for the sunrise place Seven star with moon view piont to capture the sidelight of the rice terraces until 08:00 am and back to the hotel for breakfast.

Longji Rice Terrces Sunrise, Connan 5D IV, 24-105 mm F4

Longji

Longji Rice Terrces, DJI Air2s, F2.8

Longji

Check out Pingan Hotel

Downhill for 20-30 mins to drive toDazhai Villagefor the Yao minority family visiting.

Visit a local Yao Minority farmers home for portrait and to see the local house to shooting the daily life inside the house.

Longji Rice Terrces Sunrise, Connan 5D IV, 14 mm F1.8

Longji

Hike about 1.5 hour to the hotel or 20 mins to take the local Golf car the hilltop parking. and than walk through the village with the path and hillup. High mountain behind the Tiantouzhai Village, so the sun go down early and disappeared early. but the sidelight is beautful to cature, you will shoot the beautful rice terraces in the fields，or waiting the good light in the view piont platform.

Longji Rice Terrces Sunrise, Connan 5D IV, 24-105 mm F4

Longji

Longji Rice Terrces Sunrise, Connan 5D IV, 24-105 mm F4

Longji

Check in at Longji Tiantouzhai Hotel

DAY 4：LONGJI TO YANGSHUO

Photography Highlights: Jinkeng Rice Terraces Sunrise, Landscape Mt.Top Sunset

Leave the hotel early and waking 15 mins in order to cature sunrise in the view No 1 platform. Waiting for the good lights in the rice terraces and the villages untill o7:30 or walk around the rice fields.

Jinkeng Terrces Sunrise, Connan 5D IV, 24-105 mm F4

Longji

Pano Longji Rice Terrces, DJI Air2s, F2.8

Longji

Back the hotel for breakfast.

Downhill for 30mis to the parking and drive 3-4 hours to theYangshuoto capture the landscape sunset in the the mountain top with around 750 steps.

Pano Longji Rice Terrces, DJI Air2s, F2.8

Longji

Cuiping Hill

Sunset Landscape Cuiping Hill There is a nice shooting spot in the mountaintop with well good steps to climb, it will be 20--35 to hillup depending on how fast you are (the fastest is 10 mins). The sun lights with the fields and the two river（tortoise river）meeting together.

Pano Cuiping Hilltop Sunset, Connan 5D IV, 24-105 mm F4

Yangshuo

The Magnificentlandscape viewin the distance. we will arrival the hilltop as early as we can, so the the shooting platform is small and more and more local photographer to visiting. untill 07:30--08:00 pm down hill the mountain cuase after sunset the blue hour especially therie is cumulus clouds form light around the village and the tortoise river.

Cuiping Hilltop Sunset, Connan 5D IV, 24-105 mm F4 

Yangshuo

Down hill and drive for 45 mins to Yangshuo. Check in hotel

DAY 5：YANGSHUO

Photography Highlights: Liriver Sunrise, Local Life Shooting, Sunset wity Fisherman

Wake up early and leave the hotel at 04:00 am to capture the sunrise on the beartiful romote Liriver in Xingping. Drive for 45 mins to the riverside and to capture the blue hour on the Liriver.

Liriver Blue Hour, Connan 5D IV, 24-105 mm F4

Xingping

It is said that Guilin is the most beautiful landscape scenery in the world. Xingping's Karst  mountain is like a painting, and water is clear like a crystal. The best part of Guilin Landscape Scenery is in Xingping and Yangshuo. Nature is amazing, is beautiful, poetic and picturesque, just like stepping into a paradise.

Cormorant Fishing, Connan 5D IV, 24-105 mm F4

Xingping

Liriver Sunrise, Connan 5D IV, 24-105 mm F4

Xingping

Clean the Walking Path, Connan 5D IV, 50 mm F2.8

Xingping

Unique local 100 years house, the loclas still leave inside for 6 people with 3 generations, the chicken free running everywhere near the house, the living room and the kitche are wonderful shooting highlights.

Feeding Chichen in the front yard, Connan 5D IV, 24-105 mm F4

Yangshuo

Reading 0ld Book in the living room, Connan 5D IV, 24-105 mm F4

Yangshuo

Sunset with cormorant fishing

Drive 1 hour to the Xingping Liriverside to capture the sunset with the cormorant fishing . the beartiful landscape riverside and the fishman wear the local raincoat with the cormorants, the lamp light. Wa, there is a photogenic highlights around the blue hour a hundreds of hundres photo you will shooting.

Liriver Sunset, Connan 5D IV, 24-105 mm F4

Xingping

Liriver Blue Hour with fishman, Connan 5D IV, 24-105 mm F4

Xingping

Nature posture of lighting on his bamboo raft, casting net, cormorant fishing. When nightfall, you can see the local fisherman come and punting on Li river, light up a fire lamp like a bright star floating on the water, with counter of peaks as backdrop.

Pano Liriver Blue Hour, Connan 5D IV, 24-105 mm F4

Xingping

Cormorant fishing is unique in China, and is a popular attraction for the photographer in Xingping with landscaple sunset on the Lirier.

Casting Net , Connan 5D IV, 24-105 mm F4

Xingping

Casting Net, DJI Air2S F2.

Xingping

Blue Hour with fishman , Connan 5D IV, 24-105 mm F4

Xingping

Return to Hotel Drive 45 mins to the hotel and rest the evening. Good sleep for tomorrow morning.

DAY 6：YANGSHUO

Photography Highlights: Xianggong Hill Sunrise, Old Town Visiting, Liriver Sunset

Xianggong Hill Sunrise

Leave the hotel at 03:30 am, drive 45 mins arrival the Xianggong hill before 04:30 am, cuase the gate open at 04:30 am, and a lot of photographers and tourists will be coming. Climbed the mountain with well steps to shoot the sunrise in the hilltop of Xianggong hill(there are 500 steps in Xianggong hill, and it takes about 10-15 minutes to climb, and the fastest speed is 7 minutes).

Pano Xianggong Hill Sunrise, Connan 5D IV, 24-105 mm F4

Yangshuo

Xianggong Hill

There are five viewing platforms of different heights on the top of the mountain. Each floor is two or three meters apart, which can give us a better shooting angle. Xianggong hill sunrise is the most beautiful sunrise in Guilin. Looking at the mountains in the distance, I have a special sense of natural beauty.

Different height photography platforms, of course, the highest one is the best. I like the corner on the left of each floor. Cause I like to shoot the panorama of Xianggong hill.

Pano Xianggong Hill Sunrise, Connan 5D IV, 24-105 mm F4

Yangshuo

Shooting a sunrise will be one of the most imporant things for the photographers have to do during travels. Every photographer who comes to Yangshuo must not miss a beautiful and spectacular sunrise at Xianggong mountain on the side of Lijiang River.

Xianggong Hill Sunrise, Connan 5D IV, 24-105 mm F4

Yangshuo

The sea of clouds, sunrise, sun rays, and golden clouds here attract numerous photographers and enthusiasts, even the tourist.

Pano Xianggong Hill Sunrise,    Connan 5D IV, 24-105 mm F4

Yangshuo

Xianggong Hill Blue Hour, Connan 5D IV, 14 mm F1.8

Yangshuo

Return to Hotel for breakfast

Drive for 1 hour, then walk for 20 minutes in theDaxu old townand knock at the door in the local family if we have good luck and the locals will open the door and welcome us and show how beartiful home there have and nice for portrait.

The locals walk on the street, Connan 5D IV, 24-105 mm F4

Daxu Old Town

Dry Peanuts, Connan 5D IV, 24-105 mm F4

Daxu Old Town

Reading Old News Peaper, Connan 5D IV, 24-105 mm F4

Guilin'lin

Dive 1.5 hours to the riverside to capture the sunet and the blue hour. and return the hotel about 1hour.

Liriver Sunset, Connan 5D IV, 14 mm F1.8

Xingping

Pano Liriver Sunset, DJI Air2S F2.8

Xingping

Liriver Blue Hour, Connan 5D IV, 14 mm F1.8

Xingping

DAY 7：YANGSHUO

Photography Highlights: Liriver Sunrise with Cormorant Fishing

Drive 1 hour, walk 15 mins through the path and the fields to capture the blue hour on the remote photography highlights in the early morning.

LirIver Blue Hour, Connan 5D IV, 24-105 mm F4

Yangshuo

Fishman, Connan 5D IV, 24-105 mm F4

Yangshuo

It is a romote photography highlights, more quiet, no tourise, less photographer even the locals and the most beautifull place for shooting.

Pano Liriver Sunrise with fishman, Connan 5D IV, 24-105 mm F4

Yangshuo

Liriver Sunrise, Connan 5D IV, 24-105 mm F4

Yangshuo

To capture local fisherman paddle along the Li River with the cormorants. Not to mention the stunning karst rock formations that surround you in 360 degrees for as far as the eye can see. Calling Yangshuo“scenic” would be a bit of an understatement: its bona fide jaw-dropping. It’s the kind of place you get to and then immediately fall in love.

Liriver Sunrise, Connan 5D IV, 24-105 mm F4

Yangshuo

Liriver Sunrise, Connan 5D IV, 24-105 mm F4

Yangshuo

Ahead to the airport or the railway station for the next city.