Climbing has been established in the Yangshuo area since the early nineties when visiting Americans and then Chinese climbers established the excellent body of routes on Moon Hill. The level of activity has varied since then and has picked up significantly over the past few years.
This recent development of local interest in climbing and the increasing number of foreign visitors has led to the establishment of around 150 routes.

In the fashion of Southeast Asia, the majority of routes are sport climbs, although around five percent are traditionally protected.
So for those of you who want to bring your trad gear, there are plenty of incredible ascents to be had for the adventurous

The climbing here is extremely varied. Even within a single climb you can have several types of limestone, with big honking' jugs, small crimps, finger and hand pockets, slippery slopes and laybacks. Much of the climbing here is in and through cracks, on stalactites, and over tufts, making it a very unusual place to climb.

The rock is typical tropical limestone:
A: Dark and quite sharp where exposed to rainfall,
B: Lighter and smoother to provide great climbing where sheltered from the elements.

Currently there is a lot of development happening in Yangshuo.
A: There are more and more routes being developed weekly. At the moment,
　there are a total of 150 routes in 10 areas.
B: The routes are at all levels of climbing, from 5.7 to 5.13d.
C: The lengths of the climbs vary from 10 meters to 40 meters single pitch, but typically lie in the 20 -- 25 　meter range. Come with a 60-meter rope so you are not caught short on the longer ones.

Most climbs are single pitch, but excellent long routes also exist on the towers, the multi-pitch climbing goes up 5 pitches to 120 meters.
In many sectors, there are a number of routes at different grades, allowing people of different levels to climb together in the same crag.

One of the few complications here is that the areas are graded independently from each other, but consistent with the other routes in the same area. For instance, a 5.11a at Moon Hill may seem harder than a 5.11a at the Wine Bottle , but it will feel like a 5.11a compared to the other climbs in Moon Hill.