Babao: tribute-rice fields, old stone bridges and Sanla waterfall in Guangnan
Babao town, Guangnan County
Babao, long nicknamed "little Guilin", is a karst valley in Guangnan's southeast where the Babao River links 19 villages. Its rice, once sent to the Qing court as tribute, covers some 45,000 mu (3,000 hectares) and turns gold for the harvest in September, and nearly ten stone arch bridges, most from the Ming and Qing dynasties, cross the river. Sanla waterfall, 20 km east of town, drops about 120 m in all.
What locals sayVisitors' accounts rate a boat trip down the river as the best way to see the karst peaks and the old bridges.
- Time
- 1 day · September for the rice
- In Chinese
- 广南县八宝镇
Zhuang beer-stewed duck and purple sticky rice in Babao
Flocks of ducks share the rice paddies along the Babao River, and Babao's Zhuang kitchens stew them in local beer with ginger, garlic, oyster sauce, sesame oil and a little chili-bean paste. The result is rich and fragrant, with only a hint of heat. Order it with purple sticky rice at one of the busy family-run Zhuang restaurants in town, where local families eat.
Good to know Show the name 黄炯鸭 and ask locals which Zhuang restaurant in town does it best. Go at dinner, when those restaurants are busiest.
Time: 1 hour · Dinner
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Based on what locals and regular visitors share, checked against current sources · Updated September 2026. Details change — check opening times locally.
