A tour of exotic places, notably the land of Buddha’s & temples, flowing streams and magnificent mountains and seductive landscapes is not just a delightful adventure but a wholesome lesson in the art of living. You’ll experience just that at Guilin, a scenic town which has metamorphosed into one of China’s most frequented tourist destinations.
It offers the opportunity to explore quaint villages, beautiful lake parks with breathtaking scenery and other natural wonders outside the ordinary.
Located in the northeastern part of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Guilin (which got its name after osmanthus tree) offers many scenic spots. To soak in the sights of Guilin, you may want to take the Li River Cruise, which offers something to see at every bend. You’d see farmers at work in rice paddies to water buffaloes hauling carts or cooling off, to amazing limestone peaks, and lots of other natural attractions like remarkable hills, cliffs & mountain tops.
On the western bank of the Li River, visitors and adventure-seekers may head south towards Elephant Trunk Hill using a bike or boat (which can be hired) from Guilin. Too famous to be left out in your visit to China, this Hill is so named because of its resemblance to an elephant immersing its snout in the river. On the eastern bank of the Li River, the sprawling Seven Star Park (which derives its name from its seven peaks resembling the Great Bear constellation) shows the arresting natural beauty of Guilin.
Guilin also has enchanting caves, like the Reed Flute Cave; hills that offer great views of the town, like Fubo Hill and Diecai Hill; and pagodas like the Puxian Pagoda perched atop Elephant Trunk Hill. Another interesting place to visit is Pagoda Hill, where numerous stone Buddha’s may be found. There’s also the Wave Subduing Hill which was named because it looks like a wave connecting to the sky and going down into the river. There’s even a temple on the hill.
Other caves that may be exciting to explore include the natural round caves at Moon Hill, the Black Buddha New Water Caves and the Black Dragon Caves. The latter may be explored by boat, but prepare to do some wading.
Aside from mist-shrouded villages that can be seen from atop hills, Guilin has quaint villages that may be nice to explore on land, including Fuli, situated across the Li Jiang River from Yangshuo. When sightseeing and spelunking fatigue sets in, head for the cafes or recharge in your hotel in town before seeing the rest that Guilin has to offer.