Guilin

Reed Flute Cave (Ludi Yan)

The natural rock formations in the cave make up several scenes including "Primitive Forest", "Crystal Palace", and "Flower and Fruit Mountain". While the multi-colored lighting may be annoying, the caves are really quite impressive. 

Located 5km northwest in the outskirts of Guilin city, is water-eroded cave created by carbonate deposition. It was said that there grows a kind of grass outside the cave which people make flutes, hence the name. Inside this 240m in depth and 500m in length cave, there are various fantastic spots, such as Crystal Palace, Primitive Forest, Dragon Pagoda, Virgin Forest, Flower and Fruit Mountain, etc.

Elephant Trunk Hill (Xiangbishan)

Situated at southeast of Guilin city and western bank of Li-River, Elephant Trunk Hill (Xiangbishan) is regarded as the symbol of Guilin itself. On hilltop stands the Puxian Pagoda which was built in the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), it looks like the handle of a sword.

Elephant Trunk Hill (Xiangbishan) is one of the Lijiang River's most famous sights. It looks like an elephant, dipping its snout into the Lijiang River, hence the name "Elephant Trunk Hill". This sight is very representative of the landscape around Guilin and is a symbol of Guilin itself. A park and a Ming Dynasty pagoda are found on and around the Elephant Trunk Hill.

Seven Star Park

Seven Star Park is located at the east of the Li River. Seven Star Parkderives from the Seven Star Cave, is one kilometer away from the downtown. It occupies more than 40 hectares, which is the largest, most beautiful multiple park in Guilin. The park boasts of the green hills, crystal water, fantastic caves and beautiful rocks.

The ancient Floral Bridge straddles at the southern entrance. Hidden-dragon Cave near the southern gate houses the Stele and Inscription Grotto. To the east of Seven-Star Hill stands the Camel Hill, at the foot of which the US president Bill Clinton once made a public speech on environmental protection in 1998. Besides, the Seven-Star Cave, the zoo and potted landscape Garden are worthy of being seen.

The Grotto is a natural museum holding a great number of valuable ancient stone tablets and inscriptions. It lies at the foot of the Crescent Hill in the Seven Star Park.

The contents are concerned about politics, economy, military affairs, culture and the relationship of nationalities in ancient China. The inscriptions are in forms of verse, epitaph, antithetical couplet, prose, drawing, etc. The styles of calligraphy include regular, irregular, official scripts and seal characters. They certainly enjoy high artistic and historic value.

Wave Subduing Hill (Fuboshan)

Wave Subduing Hill (Fuboshan), another Guilin's catching mountain, has one of the most unique and interesting shapes of all the hills around here and contains many interesting sights. The mountain itself resembles a wave reaching up to the sky and descending down into the river.

The sights on the hill include a temple to the Wave Subduing General (Fubo Jiangjun), after whom the hill is named. Elsewhere on the hill, Returned Pearl Cave and Thousand Buddhas Cave are also great places to see some Tang and Song Buddhist statues. Lastly, the Wave Listening Pavilion, on the southeast cliff of Fuboshan, is a great place to view the surrounding area. Built in 1964, while not ancient, the Pavilion is a great place to relax and take in the natural beauty of the Guilin area.

Li River

Lijiang (the Li River) of Guilin is renown for its beautiful scenery of mountains and waters. Tourist attractions include Guilin city, Yang Shuo county, Lingui, Ling Chuan, Qingan, Yongfu, Longsheng. The total area is about 2000 square miles. The beautiful mountains on the North and the light blue river of Lijiang constitutes a beautiful picture of scenery.

Most of the mountains of Guilin are made of volcanic lava, forming unique shapes, with some look like human beings, and others look like animals. The entire area is packed with caverns (about 2000). There is a saying, 'there is no mountain in Guilin that is without a cavern, and all caverns in Guilin are intriguing."

Lijiang is more than 400 miles long, with splendid scenery on either side. In slow flowing sections of the river, the reflection in the water looks like a mirror. There is a famous saying, 'Guilin's scenery is the best in the world, and Yangshou's scenery is the best in Guilin."

Yangshuo

Yangshuo lies in the northeast of Guangxi Province and to the southeast of Guilin City. The special geography gives it breath-taking beauty while over 1,400 years of history bless it with a deep traditional culture. The diverse ethnic minority groups including Hui, Zhuang, Yao and others, enrich it with special folk cultures represented by their various festivals; while many foreign residents add exotic flavors to its fascination.

The famous Li River traverses the county and brings it the most beautiful scenery. Along the extremely pure river, thousands of hills stand in different poses and with different expressions, such as Moon Hill, Mural Hill and Schoolboy Hill which is the natural stage of the world famous opera 'Impression on Sanjie Liu'. Sanjie Liu is a fairy singer in the legend of the Zhuang minority group. Big Banyan, a huge tree with a history of over 1,400 years, is said to be the place where her love story happened. The 'Little Li River'- the Yulong River – is a paradise for a cruise because of its green hills, silky water and ancient bridges. You can also go to Xanadu, a primitive minority village full of folk culture and tranquil rurality.

Streets in Yangshuo are well kept in the original style, presenting the simple and primitive atmosphere of the ancient town. West Street is the most exciting one that locals call the 'Global Village'. There are not only many foreign tourists, but also quite a number of foreign residents managing cafés and restaurants. The exotic flavor, combined with the traditional culture, make the West Street world famous.