Abstract: Based on the analysis of remotely sensed photographs taken at three different points in time: 5th Feb., 1993, 5th Jan., 1999, and 5th Nov., 2005, this study measured the dynamic changes of land uses and its determining mechanism in Yangshuo County. The findings are as follows. ① Among all land use types, urban construction land had undergone the most dramatic change since 1993. The further development of tourism industry need more related infrastructure and, as a result, more land supply, which had to come from former forest land and agricultural land. ② Different stages are readily observable in the land use change process, with 1999 as the tipping point. Before1999, the development had been characterized by urban sprawl under a noninterventionist traditional economy; after that, it has been characterized by an enclave-type of expansion propelled by the tourism industry. Tourism land use had been increasing at the expense of agricultural land and forest land. ③Because the majority of the land area of Yangshuo County is a constituent part of the Guilin-Lijiang National Scenic Area, there is no much room for Yangshuo County to increase the supply of land for construction according to relevant state laws and regulations. Thus its construction land expands at a slow pace. The article concludes that it is essential to establish a system of indices for the classification of tourist land uses, which can then serve as a foundation for assessing the impacts of tourism on land use.