I was in Xingping early April 2014 and had a very bad encounter with boat touts at the Xingping dock when I arrived by bus before noon. The women touts like triad society members harassing us once we decided to purchase boat rides. Once a woman with a crying child approaches us to the boat ride and we do not take her offer which she wants at CNY180 per pax and we were travelling in 3 pax. We decline her price and walked away and looking for a reasonable price but she kept harassing us and do not allow other touts to speak to us for negotiation. She behaved rudely and scolded us why we approach another person to purchase our boat ride. I have my right to choose who I want to buy my tickets from and who she thinks she is to tell me.
We learn from the boatman that the area there is run by chinese triad society and they use to harass tourists and once a woman approaches you no other touts are allowed to sell the tickets to us. What a behaviour and we are very pissed off by them. Spoils our day when we are harassed and swear never to recommend tourist to go for the boat ride.
We ended up paying CNY300 for the lousy 45 mins ride which is not worth. Please do not go to Xingping for any boat ride.
W