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Situated
in the northeast corner of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region,
Guilin is hailed by many as the most beautiful place in China
and is one of the must-see destinations for most foreign tourists.
According
to a popular Chinese saying, “Guilin’s
scenery bests all others in the world.” Its shapely-rising
limestone towers and crystal-clear waters are often
portrayed in Chinese artworks.
Adding
to its natural beauty are many fascinating caves.
The city of Guilin was founded in
the
Qin Dynasty in 314 BC as a small settlement on the Lijiang River.
It
became increasingly important following the construction of a
canal joining the river with another further north, providing a
transport link with the Yangzi. The imperial court could thus send food
and provisions by water from the Yangzi plains to its armies in the far
south. The town
becamguiling the provincial capital
in the Ming Dynasty, and remained so until 1914, when the capital
was moved to Nanning.
Since the founding of
the People's Republic in 1949, Guilin has developed a fledging industry,
producing a
variety of products such as pharmaceutical goods, tires,
machinery, fertilizers and silk.
From its noted profusion of flowering cassia trees, which have a
strong sweet scent, it produces a number of specialties including
perfume, wine, tea, cinnamon, and herbal medicine.
Beautiful Li River,
Guilin
There are more than 30
noted scenic spots within the boundaries of Guilin Peak.
Among them are a hill standing in solitary loftiness in the
center of the city;
the Elephant Trunk Hill, the city's symbol, so named because of
its resemblance to an elephant’s
sipping water from the Lijiang River with its trunk; the
Piled Festoon Hill that is broken here and there with its rock
strata exposed on its sides like piles of fancy festoons; and the
Crescent Hill that is named after its moon-shaped cave opening.
There are two fantastic
caves
in the area--- the seven-star-rock cave, which derives its name from the
arrangement of surrounding peaks resembling the pattern of the stars of
the Great Bear constellation, and Reed-Flute Cave, named after the reeds
growing around the cave mouth. They both contain spectacular stalactites
and stalagmites.
The city also boasts
other beautiful hills, such as the Fubo Hill, which is supposed to
restrain the waters of the Lijing River, and Nanxi Hill that stands
magnificently like a huge screen.
A boat trip from Guilin
along the Lijiang River presents
one of the finest excursions on your tour of China. The journey
downstream to Yangshuo offers 30 miles of breathtaking scenery.
One of the first points
of interest is the
pagoda-capped Elephant Trunk Hill, or Xiangbishan, long used as
the symbol of Guilin. A little further downstream you will pass, on your
left, Baotashan with a Ming Dynasty pagoda on top. East of it stands
Chuanshan, or the Hill with a
Hole. Then begins a series of beautiful scenes that unfold as you glide
away from Guilin on your journey south.
Coming
close to the Erlang Gorge, a huge cliff comes into view. This is
the famous "Picture Hill" that
resembles horses of different colors in different positions.
On the right, after
passing Picture Hill, is Huangbu (Yellow Cloth) Beach. Here the river is
wide and flows gently. Seven graceful peaks are likened to seven quiet
young girls standing shoulder to shoulder. The fabled Xingping
Wonderland begins here. Xingping is a famous, ancient town. Caishi Hill
looms high in front of the town, with
thick bamboo groves
in the back. The cruise ends at the colorful market town of
Yangshuo.
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