On the morning of November 22, 2025, filled with excitement, our business department colleagues set off from the Humen High-Speed Rail Station towards Yangshuo, a place renowned for its stunning landscape, to begin our two-day, one-night team trip. As the train sped along, the view outside the window gradually shifted from city skylines to rolling hills. Everyone’s eyes sparkled with anticipation for this “Perfect Team Travel.”
Upon arriving in Yangshuo, we headed straight to a small farmhouse by the Yulong River. The culinary delights began here: The bamboo tube chicken soup is clear, sweet, and flavorful; the beer-braised fish is tender and delicious， even a simple stir-fried sweet potato leaves was remarkable—the owner specifically used the most tender tips, offering a taste of mountain freshness. During that meal, everyone unconsciously went for three bowls of rice and three servings of soup. Laughter and praise filled the air, as the simple, hearty food instantly brought us closer together.
After settling our luggage at the hotel, we made our way to the Yulong River for a bamboo raft drift. The rafts, made of thick bamboo lashed together, could only hold two people each. Our group of three was about to split into two rafts when we happened upon a handsome foreign traveler, Marco, who was exploring alone. With a warm invitation, he gladly joined us. The rafts gently parted the emerald waves. The water was so clear we could see the bottom, with banks lined with swaying fountain bamboo and karst peaks unfolding like a painted screen. We felt as if we had drifted into a traditional green-and-blue landscape scroll, becoming part of the painting ourselves. Carried away by the moment, we hummed familiar tunes, and Marco exclaimed in English, “The scenery is so beautiful, and Chinese people are so friendly!”
After saying goodbye to Marco, we entered a cafe called “A Foot of Rice Fields.” The owner had planted rice paddies all around the shop. It was just sunset, and the golden rice stalks shimmered and swayed in the fading light. Holding our lattes, we captured the most serene moments of our journey against this warm, glowing backdrop.
As night fell, we returned to the Yulong River and were just in time for the weekly “Golden Dragon Parade.” Dragon and phoenix boats adorned with colorful lanterns glided slowly across the ink-dark river, their outlines etched in light like something from a myth. Locals told us this parade symbolizes favorable weather, national peace, and prosperity. The spectacle not only lit up the night but also reflected our shared, simple wishes for good fortune and beauty.
Early the next morning, November 23, 2025, we headed to the Li River. Boarding a small boat, we found the river in the morning light like a spread of silver satin. In the distance, peaks were veiled in bluish-grey mist, like giants stirring at dawn, serene and majestic. As the boat moved, the scenery shifted. Colorful pebbles were visible on the riverbed, and mountain reflections created perfect doubles, making it feel as if we were gliding between the real and the mirrored world. When we reached the most famous section, we took out a twenty-yuan RMB to compare with the view—the mountain reflections before us perfectly matched the image printed on the back. At that moment, the landscape seemed to awaken from the paper, and we truly stepped into the “national portrait.”
Our final stop was Xianggong Mountain. Climbing to the summit, the entire Li River landscape suddenly unfolded beneath our feet. Peaks clustered together, the river wound like a ribbon, and farmlands lay like chessboard squares. We were no longer just travelers within a painting but had become the viewers of this magnificent scroll, finally comprehending the vastness and awe of “a land as beautiful as a painting.”
The high-speed rail carried us back to our daily routines, but a corner of our souls will forever hold a space reserved for the landscapes of Yangshuo. There, we keep the clear songs of the Yulong River, the real-life scenery from the banknote, the evening glow at the rice field café, and the warmth of shared laughter with companions. This is not an end, but a refreshed beginning, blessed by nature.
Finally, we extend our heartfelt thanks to the company for providing this Perfect Team Travel opportunity. Life is not just about work; there is also poetry and distant horizons. May we continue to devote ourselves fully to work while also embracing our journeys with equal passion, forever maintaining our curiosity and love for the world.
