Li River restoration project completes on 24 September
Published on 09/27/2026 at 18:27 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
The Li River in Guilin reached a new conservation milestone on 24 September 2026, when the Li River landscape protection and restoration project was reported complete. The river, known locally as the Lijiang River, is the setting for a major sightseeing route through Guangxi, China.
The announcement links the project to the river basin rather than to a single riverside attraction. It gives travellers a current reason to follow how the landscape around one of Guilin’s principal visitor routes has been managed.
Li River restoration reaches all 83 projects
The project was included in the national programme for integrated protection and restoration of mountains, rivers, forests, farmland, lakes, grassland and deserts in June 2022. A report published by People’s Daily on 24 September 2026 said that all 83 subprojects had been completed.
The work covers eight categories, including water-ecosystem protection, forest restoration, biodiversity conservation, soil and water conservation, mine restoration, rocky-desert control, wetland protection and farmland restoration. The programme spans 12 counties and districts in the basin, with an implementation area of about 12,300 square kilometres.
The report said the project’s total investment was 5.491 billion yuan. It also described measures in the Yangshuo section, including river dredging, ecological bank restoration, soil-conservation forests, farmland improvement and village environmental work.
report on the completed project carries the date, the river reference and the completion statement.
How completed restoration relates to the Guilin cruise route
The official scenic-area website places the visitor corridor within the core of the Guilin Karst World Natural Heritage Site, the Guilin Karst Global Geopark and the Guilin Li River National Scenic Area. Its cruise route extends for approximately 61 kilometres from Mopanshan Passenger Terminal near Guilin to Longtoushan Pier in Yangshuo County.
The route passes a sequence of named natural features, including Nine-Horse Painting Hill, the 20 Yuan Banknote viewpoint, Xingping and several karst formations. That makes the 24 September completion announcement relevant to the setting travellers see from the water, even though it is a basin-wide conservation result rather than a new attraction.
The same official introduction identifies the river as the upper reach of the Gui River in the Pearl River system and records its source at Mao’er Mountain. The river’s national scenic-area setting connects the restoration programme with both ecological protection and the established sightseeing landscape.
The official scenic-area introduction gives the route, heritage setting and visitor landmarks.
Visiting Li River: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The conservation milestone was announced on 24 September 2026, and the report states that all 83 subprojects were complete.
- The project concerns landscape protection across the basin. The established sightseeing offer includes cruise boats, bamboo-raft experiences and riverside cycling and walking.
- The official cruise route begins at Mopanshan Passenger Terminal near Guilin and ends at Longtoushan Pier in Yangshuo County. It covers approximately 61 kilometres.
- The route is a river journey through karst scenery, with cliffs, caves, rock formations, sandbars and named viewpoints along the waterway.
- China’s official language is Mandarin Chinese and its national currency is the renminbi.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
Searching for Li River on social platforms
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Frequently asked questions about Li River
What changed at Li River on 24 September 2026?
The basin-wide landscape protection and restoration project was reported complete, with all 83 subprojects finished.
Where is Li River and how do you get there?
The scenic cruise route starts at Mopanshan Passenger Terminal near Guilin and ends at Longtoushan Pier in Yangshuo County.
What is Li River?
It is a major river and national scenic area in Guangxi, set within the core zone of the Guilin Karst World Natural Heritage Site.
