Li River "Bamboo" Boat Cruise near Yangshuo, China
Channel: Reyn
Date: 07/10/2015

The Li River is one of the most famous vistas of China. When people think of China, they think of the Great Wall, the Forbidden Palace, and bamboo boats on the Li River. It is such an iconic image, the Chinese government even put it on the reverse of the 20 kuai bill. But the modern Li is far from idyllic; it has become a terrifying spectacle of over-tourism. The "bamboo" boats are now made of plastic and equipped with a noisy lawn-mower engine -- and there are hundreds of them. The River itself is littered with flotsam ranging from cigarette butts to beer cans to plastic bags and shoes. Although the views are beautiful, the experience is far from it.