Guilin

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Guilin, Guangxi, China

Guilin, Guangxi, China

桂林一院两馆北阙, Guilin, Guangxi, China

Longji rice terraces 2023 10 11 Kaur Virunurm, Guilin, Guangxi, China

Flickr archer10 (Dennis) China 7516, Guilin, Guangxi, China

About Guilin

The limestone peaks of Guilin have inspired Chinese painters and poets for well over a thousand years, and they still rise straight out of the city streets, shaggy with green and reflected in rivers and lakes. A Song-dynasty official carved the line that every Chinese schoolchild knows on Solitary Beauty Peak: Guilin's scenery is the finest under heaven.

The city in northeast Guangxi grew up on the west bank of the Li River and served for centuries as a provincial capital. In the Ming dynasty the Jingjiang princes built their walled palace here, and the hills around it are riddled with caves holding Buddhist carvings and inscriptions left by travelers since the Tang dynasty. Elephant Trunk Hill, dipping its stone trunk into the river, is the city's emblem.

Most visitors come for the Li River, cruising downstream past karst pinnacles and bamboo groves toward Yangshuo. Others head north to the Longji rice terraces, carved into mountainsides by Zhuang and Yao farmers. In the evening, the lakes of the center glow around twin pagodas, and the day ends with Guilin rice noodles.

Best seasonApril to October for green scenery; autumn for clear skies

Ideal stay3-4 days

ArrivingGuilin Liangjiang International Airport and high-speed trains to Guilin North and Guilin West

11 Unforgettable Things to Do in Guilin

Scenic Drives 1

Li River Cruise from Guilin, Guilin, Guangxi, China

Li River Cruise from Guilin

The classic Guilin journey is a boat trip down the Li River toward Yangshuo, a route of roughly 80 kilometers lined with jagged ka...

Landmarks 2

Elephant Trunk Hill, Guilin, Guangxi, China

Elephant Trunk Hill

Where the Peach Blossom River joins the Li, this limestone hill looks uncannily like an elephant drinking, its trunk forming an ar...

Sun and Moon Pagodas, Guilin, Guangxi, China

Sun and Moon Pagodas

Standing in Shan Lake in the heart of the city, these twin pagodas are the centerpiece of the Two Rivers and Four Lakes scenic are...

Nature 2

Reed Flute Cave, Guilin, Guangxi, China

Reed Flute Cave

Named after the reeds outside its entrance, once used to make flutes, this limestone cave northwest of the center winds past stala...

Longji Rice Terraces, Guilin, Guangxi, China

Longji Rice Terraces

In Longsheng County, a couple of hours north of the city, generations of Zhuang and Yao farmers have carved whole mountainsides in...

Parks 1

Seven Star Park, Guilin, Guangxi, China

Seven Star Park

The largest park in Guilin takes its name from seven peaks said to be arranged like the stars of the Big Dipper. Walking trails li...

History 1

Jingjiang Princes' City, Guilin, Guangxi, China

Jingjiang Princes' City

Built in the late 14th century for the Ming princes of Jingjiang, this walled palace complex predates Beijing's Forbidden City and...

Viewpoints 2

Fubo Hill, Guilin, Guangxi, China

Fubo Hill

Rising sheer from the Li River bank, this small hill is named after the Han-dynasty general Ma Yuan, known as the Wave-Subduing Ge...

Diecai Hill, Guilin, Guangxi, China

Diecai Hill

Its name means Folded Brocade Hill, from the layered bands of rock on its slopes. Steps lead up past the breezy Wind Cave, lined w...

Food and Drink 1

Guilin Rice Noodles, Guilin, Guangxi, China

Guilin Rice Noodles

Guilin mifen is the city's favorite breakfast and late-night snack: round rice noodles served with a rich braised broth, slices of...

Neighborhoods 1

East and West Lanes Guilin, Guilin, Guangxi, China

East and West Lanes Guilin

Just outside the walls of Jingjiang Princes' City, this cluster of restored historic lanes recreates the old streetscape of Guilin...

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