Xingping Fishing Village Cruise: Prices, Routes & Tips
The Xingping Fishing Village Cruise is the official round-trip sightseeing boat to Xingping Fishing Village, CNY 85–115 per person. It’s a solid pick for families and older travelers, less so if you’re chasing close-up Li River photos. This guide covers what you’re paying for, what you’ll actually see, and the onboard details the official listing leaves out.
Route | Xingping Wharf ↔ Xingping Fishing Village (round trip) |
|---|---|
Distance | 7km |
Duration | 70–90 min official; 40–45 min actual round trip is common |
Price | CNY 85/person (standard boat), CNY 115/person (star-rated boat) |
Ticket window hours | 8:00–16:30 |
Booking phone | 0773-8701158 |
Table of Contents
1. What the Xingping Fishing Village Cruise Actually Is
The basics
This is a scenic-area-operated ferry-style boat, not a small craft — it carries dozens of passengers across a covered lower deck and an open upper deck, running a fixed loop from Xingping Wharf to the fishing village and straight back.
You’ll also see this cruise called the Xingping “boat” or “boat tour” — same product, different wording. Don’t confuse it with the 4-hour Guilin–Yangshuo Li River cruise (section 8); this is the short Xingping-only route. A guide gives live commentary in Chinese, occasionally with basic English, as you pass each landmark.
We’ve booked this boat for clients for years. It’s rarely the one we’d choose for ourselves, but it’s consistently the one that gets the job done for groups with mixed mobility.
Why people book it
The appeal is a distant view of the 20 RMB banknote scenery, a run past named karst landmarks, and arrival by water at a genuine 500-year-old Ming-Qing village most tour groups only reach by road — all in one 70-minute sitting.
That’s exactly why most first-time visitors book it by default — it’s the most straightforward option at the wharf, even though a ferry and a bamboo raft also depart from the same general area (see section 7 if you’re weighing the alternatives).
2. How Much Does the Xingping Fishing Village Cruise Cost?
Two boats run the Xingping Fishing Village Cruise route, and the only real difference between them is comfort — here’s what you’re actually paying the extra CNY 30 for.
Boat type | Price per person | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Standard (old) boat | CNY 85 | Covered deck, basic seating, no meal service |
3-Star boat | CNY 115 | Newer 3-star-class vessel, air conditioning, proper seating |
The Xingping Fishing Village 3-star cruise ship is the same model used on the Lijiang River. It features a more comfortable cabin and a better seat layout, completely blowing away the old Xingping iron boats in terms of experience.- The old cruise boats at Xingping Fishing Village, commonly known as iron-sheet boats, have simple interior facilities and are slightly crowded, resulting in poor overall comfort.
Both prices are round trip. There’s no meaningful difference in what you’ll see — the route and duration are identical — so the 3-star boat is really a comfort upgrade (same model as the Li River 3-star cruise boats), not a different itinerary.
This is the same style of vessel we point clients toward when a bamboo raft booking isn’t possible — the raft excludes children under 1.2m and adults over 70, while this cruise has no such limits.
Where and when to buy
Tickets are sold at the wharf ticket office between 8:00 and 16:30, or online through the official Yangshuo Li River Scenic Area channel and the QR code posted at the pier. Unlike the Guilin–Yangshuo cruise, this boat rarely sells out on ordinary days, so same-day tickets are normally fine. Many of our clients drive themselves to Xingping rather than joining a tour, which brings its own timing considerations on busy days (see the FAQ below).
What’s worth knowing ahead of time isn’t the ticket window hours — it’s that the CNY 85 boat sometimes gets called “unavailable” at the window even when it’s docked right there (more on that in section 6). Know which boat you actually want before you’re standing in line.
3. What the 7km Route Actually Shows You — and Where Cormorant Fishing Fits In
The Xingping Fishing Village Cruise’s 70-minute route (often 45 in practice) covers a distant view of the 20 RMB banknote scenery near the wharf, a run past named karst hills like Laozhai and Luosi, and arrival at the fishing village itself — but it doesn’t pass Nine Horse Fresco Hill, which sits on a separate stretch of river covered by the bamboo raft instead.
What you’ll see | Where | Note |
|---|---|---|
Yellow Cloth Shoal / 20 RMB view | Near the wharf, early in the route | Distant view only — not the close-up angle the bamboo raft gets |
Laozhai Hill, Luosi (Snail) Hill | Along the route | Named karst formations, calmer stretch than the main cruise route |
Cormorant fishing | Intermittent, dawn/dusk most likely | Not continuous — birds work in short bursts |
Xingping Fishing Village | End of route | Ming-Qing rooflines visible on approach by water |
This trips up a lot of first-time visitors who assume the cruise covers every Li River highlight — it doesn’t. We’ve had clients come off the boat asking where the “famous mountain with the horses” was, not realizing that landmark sits on an entirely different stretch of river.
What the route does deliver well is the arrival. As the boat approaches Xingping Fishing Village, the karst hills close in tight enough that the water narrows to what feels like a channel. The village’s Ming-Qing rooflines appear low against the hillside rather than all at once. It’s the same water-level approach Bill Clinton’s boat took on his 1998 visit. It’s genuinely a better first look at the village than walking in from the road side, where you hit the newer buildings first.
4. Inside Xingping Fishing Village: 500 Years of History Behind the Boat Ride
Xingping Fishing Village is a genuine 500-year-old Ming-Qing settlement, not a reconstructed tourist street — budget 1 to 1.5 hours to see the architecture, the cormorant demonstrations, and the older streets most visitors rush past.
Ming-Qing architecture, away from the tourist streets
The village dates to the Ming Dynasty’s Wanli period and sits on the Li River’s opposite bank from the main wharf, where Xingping Ancient Town gets the heavy foot traffic. Blue-brick houses, horse-head gable walls, and narrow lanes that haven’t been rebuilt for tourism — this is the working settlement, not a recreation of one.
We tell clients this is the version of “old Guangxi village” they’re usually picturing when they book — not the reconstructed, shop-lined version most day trips deliver.
The Clinton connection
Bill Clinton visited in 1998 during his state visit to China — the detail every local guide mentions, and part of why the village is known outside China at all. Cormorant fishing demonstrations happen near the village’s fish pond, where families still keep trained birds.
As with most cormorant displays on the Li River today, this is a paid photo opportunity rather than working fishing. We tell clients not to expect a genuine fishing demonstration here — it’s staged for tourists, and that’s fine as long as you know it going in.
How long to plan for
Budget 1 to 1.5 hours to walk the village properly. We’ve watched clients do the dock area in 15 minutes and call it done, then miss the older residential streets further in. That’s where the character actually is, and it takes a deliberate walk past the first few lanes to reach it.
5. The Best Time to Go: Morning Light, Afternoon Crowds, and Season
Timing affects three things on the Xingping Fishing Village Cruise: how calm the water is, whether you catch cormorant fishing, and how good your photos turn out — and the best slot for one isn’t always the best slot for the others, so it’s worth knowing the trade-off before you pick a departure time.
Morning vs. late afternoon
Morning departures, before 10:00, give you the calmest water and the best chance of catching cormorant fishing activity. Per the scenic area’s own rules, bamboo rafts on this section stop running at 10:00 to let the larger sightseeing boats through, so mid-morning through early afternoon can feel more congested.
We generally steer clients toward the first departures of the day for this reason alone, even before factoring in photography. Late afternoon, from around 16:00 onward, brings softer light, though you’re cutting it close against the 16:30 ticket window close — and since the upper deck only opens on the return leg (section 6), your best photo window is the way back regardless of when you depart.
Best season
Spring (March–May) and autumn (September–November) bring the most reliable water levels and comfortable temperatures. Summer is busier and hotter; winter sees lower water levels, which occasionally affects operations during dry spells.
We’ve had winter departures get shortened or rerouted in dry years — if your trip depends on this boat specifically, call the ticket office (0773-8701158) ahead rather than assuming.
6. What Travelers Complain About — and Mistakes to Avoid
We book the Xingping Fishing Village Cruise for clients regularly, and the gap between the official listing and the actual experience is real enough that we tell people about it upfront.
Heavy onboard sales pitching. The narration doubles as a sales pitch throughout the ride — cormorant photo ops, Li River fish, handmade canvas bags, traditional aprons, souvenir gifts, costume rental. Several clients have told us the selling wore on them more than the scenery did, especially at CNY 85–115 where a quiet scenery cruise is what people expect.
Confusing the fishing village with Xingping Ancient Town. They’re on opposite banks and are genuinely different places — the Ancient Town is the busy shop-lined street near the main wharf; the fishing village is the quieter historic settlement this boat takes you to.
Blocked views for most of the boat. Each row seats around eight; only the two window seats get a clear view. The upper deck — the one open, unobstructed spot — stays closed on the outbound leg and only opens on the return.
Shorter than advertised. The ticket lists 70–90 minutes, but the actual round trip often runs closer to 40–45 minutes.
The 20 RMB photo spot is roped off. An unblocked shot at the dock’s viewing point means paying an on-site fee.
Inconsistent cleanliness. Not unique to this boat — common across budget and mid-range tourist boats in China generally — but worth knowing; wipe your own seating area rather than assuming it’s clean.
Cutting it too close to closing time. The ticket window closes at 16:30; arriving at 16:15 risks missing the last practical departure.
The CNY 85 boat “isn’t available.” We’ve seen this happen to our own clients at the ticket window more than once — staff claim the standard boat isn’t back yet, even when it’s visibly docked, and push the CNY 115 boat instead. Ask directly if the cheaper fare matters to you.
Despite all of this, the boat remains the right call for young children or older relatives who can’t take the bamboo raft — covered, air-conditioned on the star-rated version, seated, no walking or climbing required.
If none of that describes your group, the alternatives below are worth a look.
7. Other Ways to Reach Xingping Fishing Village
The Xingping Fishing Village Cruise isn’t the only way in — Xingping Wharf also has a simple river-crossing ferry, a bamboo raft, and a walking route, each a different product with a different route.
Option | Cost | Time | What it’s for |
|---|---|---|---|
Xingping Fishing Village Cruise (this guide) | CNY 85–115/person | 70–90 min | Scenery + village visit, no age/height limits |
River-crossing ferry | ~CNY 5/person | 5–10 min one way | Just crossing the river, no sightseeing |
Bamboo raft (Xingping–Jiuma) | CNY 140/person | 50–60 min | Close-up 20 RMB view and Nine Horse Fresco Hill |
Walking/hiking route | Free | 1.5–2 hours one way | Fit travelers avoiding boats entirely |
Official boat and raft prices/times shown as range midpoints (boat: CNY 85–115, 70–90 min; raft: CNY 140, 50–60 min) — see the comparison table above for exact ranges.
The ferry is just transport — no route, no commentary, it simply gets you across. The bamboo raft runs a more scenic stretch toward Nine Horse Fresco Hill, with age/height restrictions this boat doesn’t have.
We point solo travelers and couples toward the raft more often than toward this boat — it’s the one that actually earns the photos people come to Xingping for. Third-party booking sites don’t always distinguish these clearly, so confirm which one you’re buying before you pay.
8. Fitting the Xingping Fishing Village Cruise Into a Li River Itinerary
Pair it with the cruise, not both in one day
Most travelers we work with combine this cruise with either the Guilin–Yangshuo Li River cruise or a separate bamboo raft outing — not both on the same day, since each already takes a meaningful chunk of a day trip. If you’ve already done the full cruise and are based in Yangshuo or Xingping afterward, this makes a good half-day add-on that doesn’t repeat the same scenery.
If you haven’t booked the main cruise yet
The 3-star and 4-star cruise options differ mainly in crowding and meals — 3-star boats carry up to 150 passengers with a boxed lunch, 4-star boats cap around 70-80 with a buffet and noticeably less crowded decks. → See our Li River Cruise Guide for booking specifics, or our → Li River Cruise vs Bamboo Rafting comparison if you’re still deciding between the cruise and a raft-based day instead.
If you want the raft or hiking route instead
Yangshuo has two separate rafting rivers, and they’re often confused. The Li River raft (covered in this guide, section 7) heads toward Nine Horse Fresco Hill on motorized PVC rafts; the Yulong River uses quieter, hand-poled rafts on a calmer, greener stretch further from the main crowds. → Our Li River Bamboo Rafting and → Yulong River Bamboo Rafting guides cover each in full. If you’d rather walk than take any boat, our → Li River Hiking Guide covers the Yangdi–Xingping trail conditions we’d only recommend to travelers already comfortable hiking in China.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the ferry to Xingping Fishing Village?
The simple river-crossing ferry costs about CNY 5 per person each way. This is separate from the Xingping Fishing Village Cruise (CNY 85–115) covered in this guide — the ferry just gets you across the river, without the scenic 7km loop.
Can I get an unobstructed photo of the 20 RMB view for free?
Not at the scenic area’s own viewing spot near the dock — the clear photo angle there is roped off, and getting an unblocked shot means paying an on-site fee. Some independent travelers walk further along the riverbank to find their own unobstructed angle instead.
Can I combine the Xingping Fishing Village Cruise with the Li River cruise or bamboo raft in one day?
It’s possible but tiring — each activity takes 1.5–2 hours once you include getting to and from the pier. We generally recommend picking one river activity per day, since rushing between two means less time actually looking at the scenery either one offers.
Where do I park, and is it hard to reach the pier during peak season?
There are private paid parking lots around Xingping. Other travelers commonly report traffic control kicking in by mid-morning on holidays and peak weekends, with vehicles stopped well outside the town center. If you’re driving yourself on a busy day, arriving before 9:00 or building in extra walking time is the safer bet.
Does the Xingping Fishing Village Cruise still run in rain or bad weather?
Generally yes — this is a covered, enclosed-cabin boat, so light rain doesn’t usually cancel departures, unlike the open bamboo raft. In genuinely severe weather or low water levels, the scenic area can suspend services; it’s worth calling the ticket office (0773-8701158) to confirm on the day if conditions look questionable.
Planning a Guilin-Yangshuo itinerary that includes Xingping? Get in touch and we’ll help you build the right combination of river activities around your dates.
