Big Banyan Tree

The Big Banyan Tree of Yangshuo is one of the most celebrated natural landmarks in southern China — a massive specimen of Ficus virens estimated to be over 1,400 years old, with an enormous spreading canopy supported by a labyrinth of aerial roots that has made it a symbol of the Li River valley's extraordinary landscape. Located in the Moon Hill Scenic Area south of Yangshuo town, the tree has been a subject of Chinese art, poetry, and local legend for over a millennium.

The tree stands on the bank of the Jinbao River, surrounded by the dramatic karst limestone peaks that define this section of the Guangxi landscape at its most lush and impressive. Its sheer scale is remarkable — the trunk measures several metres in diameter and the canopy spreads across an enormous area, creating a cathedral-like space beneath its interlocking branches and hanging aerial roots. A small park around the tree includes viewing pavilions and interpretive displays explaining its remarkable history and ecological significance.

The site is most beautifully experienced at dawn or dusk, when low light filters through the canopy and the surrounding karst peaks are reflected in the river below. The tree is located near the famous Moon Hill natural arch and the Dragon Bridge — a 600-year-old stone arch bridge — making it easy to combine multiple highlights of the area in a single half-day cycling excursion from Yangshuo, a journey through rice paddies and karst scenery that is itself one of the great simple pleasures of travelling in Guangxi province.