Holiday in Guilin

About Guilin

Guilin in southern China boasts one of the most spectacular natural landscapes in the world: thousands of conical karst mountains rise from emerald green rice fields and are reflected in crystal-clear rivers. A Chinese proverb says: "Guilin's landscape is the most beautiful under heaven" — and reality exceeds all expectations. The boat trip on the Li River (Li Jiang) from Guilin to Yangshuo is considered one of the most beautiful river cruises in the world. Over 83 kilometers, you glide past unrealistically shaped karst cliffs that bear poetic names like Nine Horses Mural, Jade Brooch Hill, and Elephant Trunk Hill. This landscape adorns the back of the 20-yuan banknote. The Elephant Trunk Hill is Guilin's landmark: a natural rock arch that looks like an elephant dipping its trunk into the water. The Reed Flute Cave impresses with fantastically illuminated stalactites and stalagmites in a limestone cave over 240 meters long. The Longji Rice Terraces, about 80 km north of Guilin, are a masterpiece of human landscape design: for over 650 years, the Zhuang and Yao minorities have transformed the steep mountains into terraced rice fields. Depending on the season, they shimmer in different colors — reflecting water in spring, bright green in summer, and golden in autumn. Yangshuo, the destination of the Li River cruise, is a charming town with world-class climbing opportunities, bamboo rafting on the Yulong River, and the spectacular outdoor light show "Impression Liu Sanjie."