Bamboo Rafting

A slow ride that looks like fun.

Bamboo is a wonderful plant. A sort of grass, it grows at a rate of a yard a day, flourishes in the most unpromising situations, and can be used for anything from dress-making to plumbing and scaffolding. Here in Guilin, tie five bamboo poles together and you have a raft and can start earning tourist dollars.

We didn't have time to go for a ride on one of these bamboo rafts, but it certainly looked like fun - serene and peaceful until you reached a weir, when things became a trifle exciting.