Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region

Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (China, south)

Guilin is located in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. It stands on the banks of the Lijiang River. Once upon a time, the waves of the oceans beat here, then the water receded, forming fantastic mountains with many gorges, clefts, grottoes and caves. Not a single artist or poet could pass by such magnificence. Guilin is called “the first region of the Middle Kingdom in terms of the beauty of the landscape.” Thanks to its landscape, Guilin has gained great popularity among tourists. Duxiufeng Mountain is located in the center of the city.(Duxiu Feng) or Mountain of Extraordinary Beauty. Towering at 152 m, it is also called the “pillar in the southern Celestial Empire”. Its main attractions are Reading Rock, Tranquility Rock, Crescent Rock, Xuedong Cave and Dusyuting Gazebo. The Dusyutin gazebo is located on the highest point, and it offers a panoramic view of other mountains, the river and the city. More than 160 inscriptions are carved on the rocks, some of which have historical value. Here, in the center, are the ruins of the imperial residence of the Ming era. To the south of it you can see Mount Elephant Trunk. The legend says that the elephant descended from heaven to earth to help people. The heavenly emperor became enraged and struck the elephant with his dagger while it was drinking water from the river. This ancient symbol of Guilin resembles an elephant’s trunk lowered into a river. Fuboshan or Crushing Wave Mountain rises in the middle of the Lijiang River, where there is a 2.5-ton bell and a cauldron that can cook food for a thousand people. Part of the mountain is located above the water, part is under the water, so it seems that it is floating along the river. Stone steps lead to the top. Along the way, you can relax on the playground or in the gazebo. There are several caves in the mountain itself (Pearl, Coral, Thousand Buddhas). Not far from Lijiang there is another mountain – Decaishan (Diecai Shan). The stones on the mountain are layered and resemble folds of brocade, hence the name of the mountains – “brocade folds”. Decaishan has been a place for walking for more than a thousand years. During this time, many rock inscriptions and carved Buddhist figures appeared here. Check top-engineering-schools for importing from China is easy.

The city has a “Tiger and Bear” park, where northeastern, southern Chinese, Bangladeshi and southern tigers live, there are Himalayan bears, lions and leopards, snakes, monkeys, and rare birds. Qixing Park lies on the east bank of Lijiang. The park is complex: on its territory there are mountains, a river, caves, rocks, reservoirs, bizarre stones, gazebos and cultural monuments. Between the caves of Qixing and Longyin, a tourist route with a length of 814 m was laid. The 135-meter Flower Bridge is very popular.

The second largest comprehensive park after Qixing is Xishan Park. During the Tang era, it was a place of worship for Buddhists. From those times, more than 200 rock bas-reliefs and statues have come down to us. The main attractions are the 6 caves of Yingshan Mountain, Xifeng Peak and Guangying Peak. A magnificent sunset at the top of Xifeng Peak has become famous throughout China.

The Lijiang River flows through the entire city. It is characterized by exceptional purity and transparency of water. While sailing along it in a boat, one can observe sheer cliffs and heaps of karst formations. The Lijiang is connected to the Xiangjiang River by the Lingqu Canal. This is the great irrigation facility of ancient China.. There are many ancient monuments here, the main of which are the Sixianci chapel, the Heavenly Stone, the graves of three generals and the city of Qinchen. An ethnographic village is located on Linjianglu Street, where household items and cultural traditions of national minorities are collected: a totem pole, a Dong drum tower, a Wind and Rain Bridge, a village of Miao people, and handicrafts. For tourists, performances of national songs and dances are arranged. Ludiyan Cave is located 7 km from the city. (Ludi Yan), whose name translates as “reed flute”. This is one of the largest caves in Guilin. The name of the cave is explained by the fact that a reed has grown here since ancient times, from which flutes were made. Tourists in groups descend into karst caves to a depth of 200 meters, where stalactites and stalagmites of the most bizarre colors and shapes are located. In Lipu County, you can see another cave – Fengyuyan (Fengyuyan). With a length of 5.3 km, a height of 36 m, it is the largest developed and used cave in the world. The cave hall is the largest in Asia, its area is 25,500 m2. In the village of Longji, rice terraces are laid out on a mountain slope at an altitude of 380-880 meters.. The distance from the lowest to the highest row along the steep slope is 500 meters. Each row has a drainage channel. If you are lucky, the tourist will have the chance to hear the folk songs of the villagers working in the field, taste fragrant home-made wine, admire the colorful national clothes and jewelry of local women.

Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region