In the 1980s, the county became popular with foreign visitors engaging in backpacker tourism, and organized tours began by the late 1990s. At the time, domestic tourists represented only a small fraction of the county's visitors, but they outnumbered foreign tourists by 2005. Today, the county is a resort destination for both domestic and foreign travelers.

The history of West Street dates back over 1,400 years ago.[citation needed] Since the street is popular with locals and foreigners alike, signs are written in both Chinese and English. Because of the relatively high number of foreign visitors, many locals speak some English, unlike most Chinese towns of its size.[1]

The Yangshuo region has numerous locations for climbing, and they are accessible by bicycle, public bus, or taxi van. The most famous of these crags is Moon Hill, which has several lines graded 5.13 in the Yosemite scale. Other crags of note include Low Mountain, Twin Gates, Baby Frog, the Egg, Bamboo Grove, and Wine Bottle Cliff.