Guilin (Chinese: 桂林; pinyin: Guìlín) is a prefecture-level city in China, situated in the northeast of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on the west bank of the Li River. Its name means "forest of Sweet Osmanthus", owing to the large number of fragrant Sweet Osmanthus trees located in the city. The city has long been renowned for its unique scenery.THERE is a common saying in China that Guilin’s scenery is the finest under heaven (Guilin shanshui jia tianxia). Given that reputation, it is no wonder that this legendary city in China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region is considered one of the must-see places for visitors to the country. Guilin’s classic “shanshui” landscapes epitomise perfect harmony between mountain (shan) and water (shui).Indeed, clear, still waters against a silhouette of jutting karst formations and bucolic scenes such as those commonly seen in Guangxi of farmers driving buffalos amid ancient rice terraces are among China’s iconic images.
Quotes
"I often sent pictures of the hills of Guilin which I painted to friends back home, but few believed what they saw."
- Fan Chengda (Chinese Song Dynasty scholar)
桂林山水甲天下 - "Guilin’s scenery is best among all under heaven."
- popular Chinese saying
.Source from Wikipedia
Elephant-Trunk Hill A hill that looks like a giant elephant drinking water with its trunk. It is symbol of the city of Guilin.The arched hollow between the ‘trunk’ and ‘body’ of Guilin’s Elephant Trunk Hill forms a circle with its reflection in the water, hence the hollow’s poetic name Water Moon Cave or Shuiyuedong.
Pagodas at Fir Lake in downtown Guilin
Moon Hill 月亮山 (Yuèliàng Shān) or Moon Mountain is a hill with a natural arch through it a few kilometers outside Yangshuo in southern China's Guangxi autonomous region. It is so named for a wide, semicircular hole through the hill, all that remains of what was once a limestone cave formed in the phreatic zone. Like most formations in the region, it is karst. It is also a popular tourist attraction
The River LiThe River Li (simplified Chinese: 漓江; pinyin: Lí Jiāng) is a river in Guangxi Province, China.The River Li originates in the Mao'er Mountains in Xing'an Сounty and flows in the general southern direction through Guilin, Yangshuo and Pingle. In Pingle the Li River merges with two other streams, and continues south as the Gui River, which falls into the Xi Jiang, the western tributary of the Pearl River, in Wuzhou.The upper course of the River Li is connected by the ancient Lingqu Canal with the Xiang River, which flows north into the Yangtze; this in the past made the Li and Gui Rivers part of a highly important waterway connecting the Yangtze Valley with the Pearl River Delta.The 437-kilometer course of the Li and Gui Rivers is flanked by green hills. Cormorant fishing is often associated with the Lijiang. Its unusual karst topography hillsides have often been compared to those at Halong Bay, Vietnam.
Along the 100-kilometer stretch of the River Li, mountain peaks rise into the sky. It is one of China's most famous scenic areas.
The imagery of the River Li is featured on the 20 yuan note.
Reed Flute CaveReed Flute Cave is a landmark and tourist attraction in Guilin, Guangxi, China. The reed flute cave is over 180 million years old. It was discovered in the 1940s by a group of refugees
Liu San Jie (Third Sister Liu)Liu San Jie (Third Sister Liu) and her stories are very popular among the Zhuang people in southwest Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
According to the local tale, Liu San Jie was born in a village along the Liujiang Ri
ver of Guangxi in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). She was not only beautiful but also good at singing folk songs. At the age of 17, Liu San Jie fell in love with a handsome young man who was also a good folk singer. The two swore never separate in their lives.The peaceful happiness was, however, broken by a hooligan in the village who had been for a long time attracted by Liu's beauty. This evil man decided to take Liu San Jie by force. He got his chance on a moonlight night when Liu and her lover were sitting on a big rock at riverside to enjoy the beauty of the moon. Suddenly, a gang of hooligans surrounded them. Liu San Jie and her lover had no way to escape, with no hesitation, the couple jumped into the roaring Liujiang River, hand in hand. Nowadays, on the day of March 3, local people will gather along the riverside of the Liujiang River, organizing a folk-song competition to mourn Liu San Jie
