After a roadside stop for a fried rice lunch, the highway wound up through forested mountains scattered with ethnic villages. As we descended from the hills the sight of boats on navigable rivers suggested we were approaching Wuzhou.

The city is close to Guangdong, where the Gui and Xun Rivers coalesce into the West River (xijiang). For much of its history, Wuzhou was a river town. Usually the bus or boat travelers would pass straight through, but I had been there two months previously. Spending a few days in the older Longhuzhen district, it had been fascinating walking and exploring the busy river banks and narrow alleys with outdoor markets crammed in. Wuzhou today has grown into a much larger, modern city with excellent transportation connections.