Guilin

Basic Information

Guilin is a prefecture-level city in the northeast of China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. It is situated on the west bank of the Li River and borders Hunan to the north. Its name means “Forest of Sweet Osmanthus”, owing to the large number of fragrant sweet osmanthus trees located in the region. The city has long been renowned for its scenery of karst topography.

Guilin is one of China’s most popular tourist destinations, and the epithet “By water, by mountains, most lovely, Guilin” is often associated with the city. The State Council of China has designated Guilin a National Famous Historical and Cultural City, doing so in the first edition of the list.

Guilin is a city in North Guangxi, China. It is a scenic town and one of the best-known tourist destinations in China. There are many scenic places within a short traveling distance. These include Longsheng with its famous Longji rice terraces; the Li River, a scene of which is printed on the back of ¥20 banknotes; Yangshuo, a small county downstream; and much more. This makes it an excellent base for exploring the northern end of Guangxi Province.

It is a beautiful city. The town center is surrounded by two rivers and four lakes and studded with sheer sided karst mountains. Outside the city center, the buildings are less well kept. The main industry in the city is tourism, so the city is much cleaner than in other Chinese cities.

It is like most other medium-size Chinese cities, other than that, it has a large number of western-style hotels, tourists and is relatively free of air pollution. Many Chinese domestic tourists also flock to this area. What makes it special is its proximity to many picturesque limestone mountains and formations.

Source: Wikipedia & Wikitravel