Beautiful China
A WONDERFUL TRIP IN GUILIN
SCENIC GUILIN
Guilin, a city in North Guangxi, is one of the best-known tourist destinations in China. The town center is surrounded by two rivers and four lakes and studded with sheer sided karst mountains. There are countless hills to climb, caves to explore, and rivers and lakes to cruise.
Many domestic tourists also flock to this area because of its proximity to many picturesque limestone mountains and formations.
Guilin itself is like most other medium-size Chinese cities, relatively free of air pollution. Tourism is the city’s main industry so Guilin is much cleaner than other Chinese places.
Among the many scenic places within short travel distance are Longsheng, with its famous Longji rice terraces; the Li River, the scene printed on the back of ¥20 bank notes; and Yangshuo, a small county downstream from Guilin. Guilin is also a great place to experience countryside life, with many minority and rural themed attractions. This makes Guilin an excellent base for exploring the northern end of Guangxi Province.
CRUISING THE LI RIVER
As one of China’s top tourist destinations, Li River is honored to be the largest and most beautiful karst gallery in the world, making it a must-see during your Guilin vacation.
As it sparkles in the sunlight, the river meanders through lush mountains like a liquid jade belt. The river generally has three sections.
Various attractions like peaks and villages along the river have interesting descriptive names, which call for much of one’s imagination to see what it is like. Listening to tour guides’ stories, mostly mystical fairy and love legends, touring the attractions is a delightful experience as you appreciate the landscapes.
The essence of the Li River is well-represented in the section from Guilin to Yangshuo, which is the centerpiece of any trip to northeastern Guangxi Province. A cruise between the two places offers you the best way to appreciate the scenery and is one of the best things to do in Guilin. The Li River cruise is estimated to take four to five hours. The eye-feasting landscape and country scenery will never disappoint you.
Gorgeous Karst peaks give you surprises at each bend of the river under the blue sky. Water buffaloes patrol the fields, farmers reap rice paddies, school kids and fisherman float by on bamboo rafts. With its breathtaking scenery and taste of a life far removed from the concrete metropolis, the scenery along the river makes it one of China’s top tourist destinations.
Situated majestically on the western bank of the Li River, a hill resembles an elephant sucking water from the river with its long trunk. It is supposed to be the landmark of Guilin landscape, which you can find on travel brochures or books. The most impressive is said to be the water reflection of a moon-like cave when the moonlight sparkles over the river, hence the name Moon over the Water.
A CLOSE-UP EXPLORATION TO THE COUNTRY VILLAGES
When the cruise ends in Yangshuo, tourists disembark at the Shuidongmen Wharf near the Green Lotus Peak or Fu’an Wharf near the Shutong Hill. Walking to the famous West Street is a great choice if you disembark from the Shuidongmen Wharf. The West Street, lined with Western cafes, restaurants and hotels, is a wonderful place for people who want to explore Chinese life.
The cruise makes the small town of Yangshuo known to foreigners. It’s very small that everyone will know one another after one month. Located some 90 kilometers south of Guilin City, this town is the downstream end of the cruise but not the least. The enchanting fairyland of Yangshuo is renowned as the best in Guilin. Yangshuo is also a great place for hikes and cycling excursions. There’s no doubt that taking a close-up exploration of the country villages will give you a taste of the rural life. One surprising thing is the one-hour bamboo raft trip along Yulong River, which offers a view of a paradise. You can also rent a bike and ride along the 10-Mile Gallery to view the wonderful scenery. Yangshuo presents a peaceful rural scenery with distinctive log cabins dottings wide fields and terraces.
LONGJI RICE TERRACES
Longji Rice Terraces, or Dragon’s Backbone Rice Terraces, gains its name because the rice terraces resemble a dragon’s scales while the mountain range looks like the backbone of a dragon. It is reputed as one of the most beautiful rice terraces in the world. The rice terraces are a magnificent demonstration of man working in harmony with the landscape. It is located in Longsheng County, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) from Guilin and 140 kilometers (90 miles) from Yangshuo.
The construction of incredible Longji Rice Terraces started in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) and lasted till the early Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Now, the Dragon’s Backbone Rice Terraces covers an area of 66 square kilometers and spans an altitude between 300 meters and 1,100 meters. Among them, two main and representative viewing areas are the Ping’an Zhuang Village Terraced Fields and the Jinkeng Terraced Fields where Zhuang and Yao Minority people have been living respectively for hundreds of years.
To appreciate the rice terraces more, visitors can learn some unique customs at Longsheng Rice Terraces scenic area. Local people still plant crops in the field for a living. Not only can you view the splendid natural scenes, but also have a glimpse of genuine folk life and culture. They have their own unique and interesting customs in dining, clothes and lifestyles. For instance, their houses have stilts to repel moisture. The ladies of Yao minority like to have long hair, with some having over one meter long; and their clothes are very colorful, and finished with delicate embroidery.