Guilin Yangshuo

Synopsis

Guilin's landscape is the finest under heaven, and Yangshuo's landscape is the finest in Guilin. Guilin, located in Guangxi, is world-renowned for its karst peak forest topography and was inscribed as a World Natural Heritage site in 2014. The 83-kilometer waterway of the Li River from Guilin to Yangshuo is the most scenic section, featuring classic sights such as Elephant Trunk Hill, Nine Horses Fresco Hill, and the Xingping Li River landscape depicted on the twenty-yuan banknote. In Yangshuo, don't miss the bamboo rafting on the Yulong River, the nightlife on West Street, and cycling to Moon Hill.

Overview

Guilin is located in the northeastern part of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and is one of China's most famous tourist cities. Guilin is renowned worldwide for its typical karst (limestone) landscape—countless limestone peaks rise from the ground in various shapes, with the Li River meandering through them, forming a natural ink-wash painting. The phrase "Guilin's scenery is the finest under heaven" has been passed down since the Southern Song Dynasty and is the most concise summary of Guilin's landscape. In 2014, Guilin Karst was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a key component of the second phase of South China Karst.

The Li River is the soul of Guilin's landscape. The approximately 83-kilometer water journey from Guilin to Yangshuo is known as the "Hundred-Mile Gallery"—green mountains stand on both sides of the river, their reflections mirrored in the emerald-green water, with every turn revealing a new picturesque scene. The water of the Li River is as clear as a mirror, resembling a green silk ribbon winding through thousands of peculiar peaks. The Li River scenery featured on the back of the 20-yuan RMB note was captured in the Xingping section, making it the most recognizable image of Guilin's landscape.

Yangshuo is located about 65 kilometers south of downtown Guilin, and it is said that "Yangshuo's scenery surpasses that of Guilin." Yangshuo represents the essence of Guilin's landscape—the peaks here are denser, the Li River is more beautiful, and the rural scenery is more tranquil. Yangshuo is also one of China's earliest international backpacker hubs. On West Street, languages from various countries intermingle, creating a unique blend of Chinese and Western cultures.

Core Attractions

Elephant Trunk Hill is the city symbol of Guilin. This hill closely resembles an elephant standing by the Li River, extending its trunk to drink water. A round cave—Water Moon Cave—is formed between the trunk and leg. On moonlit nights, the reflection in the water appears like a bright moon floating on the surface, creating the famous "Elephant Hill Water Moon" scene.

Xingping Ancient Town is the most worthwhile stop along the Li River. It preserves a complete complex of ancient buildings from the Ming and Qing dynasties. The Li River scenery outside the town represents the essence of Guilin's landscape—the landscape pattern on the back of the 20-yuan RMB note was photographed here. From the summit of Xianggong Mountain overlooking Xingping Bay, one can see the Li River drawing a perfect U-shaped bend between the mountains, offering a panoramic view of green hills and clear water.

The Yulong River is known as the "Little Li River" and is the purest river in Yangshuo. There are no motorized boats on the Yulong River, only bamboo rafting—floating slowly downstream on a bamboo raft, the pastoral scenery, villages, and peaks unfold gradually before your eyes, creating a serene and beautiful experience. There are several ancient stone bridges over the Yulong River, among which the Yulong Bridge, over 500 years old, serves as the starting point for rafting.

Practical Information

Geological Wonder

Guilin's karst landscape formed approximately 300 million years ago. At that time, this area was a vast ocean where thousands of meters of limestone sediment accumulated. Later, tectonic movements uplifted the seabed into land. Over hundreds of millions of years of rainwater dissolution and river erosion, the softer rock layers were completely worn away, leaving behind the hard stone peaks that form today's peak forest landscape. The density and rich variety of peak forms in the Guilin region are extremely rare among global karst landscapes.

References

1. UNESCO World Heritage Centre: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1335
2. Baidu Baike: https://baike.baidu.com/item/桂林山水
3. Wikipedia: https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-cn/桂林
4. Guilin Tourism Official Website: https://www.guilin.com.cn