The must sees in Guilin

Located in the Guangxi of Southern China, Guilin is regarded as the pearl of China’s thriving tourist industry because of the natural beauty. It has received lots of reputations from all over the world, including Nixon, the former president of USA, who once spoke highly of Guilin as a bright pearl in China. He said, “I have visited more than 80 countries and over a hundred cities, I have found that no city can surpass the beauty of Guilin.” This beautiful city also ranks second on China’s list of the 10 best tourist destinations, only after Beijing.

The first impression on Guilin must be the green covered Karst hills with the verdant vegetation and crystal clear waters. The Li River, Guilin’s most popular scenic area, was selected by National Geographic Magazine as one of the world’s top ten watery wonders.

Li River Cruise

Cruising along the Li River is perhaps one of the most popular ways to capture the splendid scenery in Guilin. Usually the trip starts from the dock in downtown Guilin, and ends in Yangshuo, a peaceful county which is not far away from Guilin. During the cruise, travelers will be astonished by the hills at each bend of the pure river under the blue sky. They will find a great escape from the concrete metropolis by seeing Water buffalo patrol the fields, peasants reap rice paddies, and fisherman float by on bamboo rafts.

The river is generally divided into three sections. Various attractions like peaks and villages along the river have interesting descriptive names, which calls for much of the travelers’ imagination to see what it is like. The scenic spots in these three sections include Elephant Trunk Hill, Pagoda Hill in the first section, Crown Cave, Half-Side Ferry in the second section and Yangshuo in the third section. Learning about the stories about the river is a delightful experience while capturing the landscapes.

Other Highlights in Guilin City

There are also some highlight attractions in Guilin city, such as Reed Flute Cave or Elephant Trunk Hill. Reed Flute Cave is a spectacular world where travelers can witness various stalactites, stone pillars and rock formations created by carbonate deposition.

Elephant Trunk Hill serves as one of the most important symbols of Guilin city. The shape of the hill is just like a huge elephant drinking water from the river with its trunk, thus the mountain was named so.

After visiting Guilin, travelers can extend their trip to Longsheng, a photography meca where they will capture the breathtaking rice terraces.