Guilin

Guilin in the northeast of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region is a famous historic and cultural city listed by China. With a history of more than 2,000 years, the city is known for its green hills, clear waters and peculiar karst caves and stones and enjoys the reputation of "the finest mountains and water under heaven”. It is one of China’s most famous tourist cities.

Solitary Beauty Peak

The Solitary Beauty Peak. in the city center, appears to have popped up majestically from the ground to be called the "'Pillar of the Southern Sky". The hill has a special light effect with its color changing from purple to golden as the sun rises and sets. Therefore, it is also called "Purple golden Hill". Covered by lush flowers and woods, the hill has gurgling springs and peculiar caves, presenting a quiet and charming scenery. Yuan Mei, a noted poet of the Qing Dynasty, once wrote, "Of all tile weird-shaped Guilin hills, the Solitary Beauty Peak is the queerest. "

Diecai Hill

Diecai Hill, in the north of the city proper, reveals layers of colorful rocks on its precipice and so it got the name Diecai, meaning “Folded Brocade”. There is an ancient trail leading from the southern foot to the top of the hill, from where one gets a bird’s eye view of the Lijiang River. Also on the hill is a bottle gourd shaped cave called Fengdong Cave(Wind Cave), through which, from south to north, the wind travels, and makes your trip to the cave a delightful experience. Carved inscription from the Tang Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty can be seen both in and outside the cave and there is a group of cliff statues carved in the Tang and Song Dynasties.

Elephant Trunk Peak

The Elephant Trunk Peak is a rock hill at the confluence of the Taohua and the Lijiang Rivers. It has a big hole in it which gives the rock the appearance of the elephant drinking at the river. On a clear night, when the moon shines through the round hole, it leaves a spot of light on the water surface as if there were another full moon in the river. Therefore, the hole is called Underwater Moon Cave. On the top of the hill is a three-story brick tower built in the Ming Dynasty. On the cliffs by the river are more than 50 ancient stone inscription, the most famous of which is a poem by the poet Lu You of the Song Dynasty, known for its succinctness and good handwriting.

Seven-Star Cave

The Seven-Star Cave is a cavern half way up the Putuo Mountain to the east of the city. It is divided into three parts. The upper part is so high and steep that one can hardly climb up. Its lower part is an underground river channel. Although the murmuring streams can be heard, it is difficult to find them. The part in the middle, an 800-meter-long spacious tunnel, is a gallery of sparking stalactites and stalagmites with myriads of shapes and forms. It became a sightseeing spot in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, and since then many poems and other inscriptions have been left behind on its walls by visiting writers and scholars.

Reed Flute Cave

The Reed Flute Cave is located in Guangming Mountain in the northwestern suburbs of Guilin. It lines along its entire 500-meter zigzag length with stalactites in dazzling colors, and thus is also known as a "Palace of Natural Art", Another rare scene in the cave is the 70 calligraphic works written on its walls since the Tang Dynasty which are still clearly visible today.

Lijiang River Scenery

Lijiang River Scenery is definitely impressive and beautiful, with the crystal clear Lijiang River sandwiched between precipitous peaks hung with waterfalls. Among poems singing the praise of its beauty are these two lines: "He who travels in Guilin hills finds himself in a fairy land," and "He who sails along the Lijiang River finds himself boating in a sweet dream. " On the 83-kilometer riverbank from Guilin to Yangshuo are numerous natural wonders, which have inspired the saying "Guilin has the most beautiful scenery in China, and Yangshuo is the most beautiful part of Guilin.”

In short, Guilin is a Forest of Pinnacles, each clotted with wondrous caves. It is also a galaxy of Scenic Spots that have a lot of historical anecdotes to relate.

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