Yangshuo • Ten-Mile Gallery

🌟 Ten-Mile Gallery: Nine Horses Gallop into the Painting!

📜 The Past and Present of Ink-Wash Yangshuo
The Ten-Mile Gallery in Yangshuo is a millennium-old ink-wash painting blurred by rain. This scenic strip winding along National Highway 321 has long been a source of inspiration for poets and scholars. The Tang Dynasty poet Han Yu once praised, "The river is like a green silk belt, the mountains like jade hairpins," referring to the karst peaks along the Li River. Today, cycling along this road, every turn offers a real-life replica of the "A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains" painting.

🏞️ The Secret of Nine Horses Painting Mountain
The most captivating spot is the cliff of Nine Horses Painting Mountain—on rainy, misty days, the nine horses faintly visible on the mountain seem ready to break through the rock face. Locals say these are divine steeds from the heavenly palace: "Spot three horses and you see scholars, recognize five and you see top scholars, see all nine and you can become immortals." Ruan Yuan, Governor-General of Liangguang in the Qing Dynasty, wrote a poem about it: "Since ancient times, mountains have been like paintings, now paintings resemble mountains." Interestingly, these "horses" change shape depending on the viewing angle, like a dynamic puzzle left by nature.

🚲 Cycling Tips
It’s recommended to rent a bike for a leisurely ride (bike rentals are everywhere on West Street, Yangshuo). Along the way, you’ll pass:
1️⃣ Moon Hill: The crescent-shaped hole at the summit is a natural photo frame
2️⃣ Gongnong Bridge: Overlooking the Yulong River where bamboo rafts drift like leaves
3️⃣ Butterfly Spring: In the rainy season, the mountain stream forms a silver chain-like waterfall
Rainy days are actually the best time to visit; the mist wraps the dark peaks like ink stains on semi-dry rice paper. Remember to bring a waterproof jacket—the Ten-Mile Gallery in the drizzle best captures the poetic mood of "Misty Rain on the Li River."

✨ Rather than just a sightseeing route, this is an unfolding scroll of landscape painting. The spirits hidden in the stone patterns of Nine Horses Mountain might just be smiling at the sight of people looking up, searching for horses.

Post by aglitterbrianna | Oct 24, 2025