Guilin

Just as Xi'an is a must when you travel to China, so is Guilin. The stunning landscape in which the city is situated has a kind of magic that is all its own. The strangely shaped hills, or karsts, with the verdant vegetation ranging from bamboo to conifers together with wonderful caves make Guilin such an attraction for tourists.

Located in the northeast of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Guilin is considered to be the pearl of China's thriving tourist industry on account of the natural beauty and historic treasures. Covering an area of just 565 square kilometers (218 square miles), the city is rather compact when compared with other leading cities in the country. However, situated within this area one may find green mountains, crystal clear waters, unique caves and beautiful stones. Major attractions include Elephant Trunk Hill, Li River, Reed Flute Cave and Seven-Star Park that boasts a Stone Museum where amazing geological finds are displayed. Each of these places and many more besides will leave you with lasting memories of your visit.

Guilin is a well-developed tourist center with convenient transportation, communication and accommodation facilities. You can enter Guilin by air, by train or by bus and get around on free buses. From luxury hotels to hostels, from splendid restaurants to local snacks, you are sure to find that your needs will be met beyond your expectations.

Climate

The best time to visit Guilin is between April and October. During this time, the area is at its most green. The most important thing to know about Guilin weather is that it can get very hot, humid, and it rains a lot! The average temperature for the year is 19.3 centigrade with a July average temperature of 28.3 degrees. The average rainfall for the year is 192.6 cm per month.

Note that climbing peaks around Guilin can get dangerous during or after a downpour. Pay attention to local weather reports and keep the weather in mind when making plans to climb local hills.

Attractions

Banyan Lake and Fir Lake (Guilin City) 
 
Banyan Lake (Rong Hu) and Fir Lake (Shan Hu) are two beautiful lake parks conveniently located in the center of Guilin! Banyan Lake is on the west side of Zhongshan Road and is named after the surrounding banyan trees.

These two lakes were originally the southern section of the moat that protected the ancient city of Guilin. An ancient south gate to the city is on the northern shore of Banyan Lake.

How to get there: Located on both sides of Zhongshan Bei Road at Ronghu Bei Road and Shanhu Bei Road, the lakes are accessible by taxi or on foot from most points in the city.

Lijiang River Tours (On the Lijiang)  
 
River tours between Guilin and Yangshuo are an extremely popular way to see the natural scenery along the river, which is some of the best in China. However, the tours can be on the expensive side with a one way ride to Yangshuo costing about RMB360 and some trips costing as much as RMB500 (but including a bus ride back to Guilin). These prices also include lunch on the boat.

Tickets can be booked through many hotels or bought at the ticket office on Binjiang Road near the Lijiang River and south of Fir Lake. The boats leave in the early morning at about 8 or 8:30 am and hotel shuttles to the dock typically leave at 7:30am.

Dining

Guilin is famous for its exotic dishes and the sight of dogs, birds, turtles, snakes and other weird and wonderful animals in their cages is not unusual here! There are plenty of tasty options for those who prefer their food to be dead before it arrives at the table.

Guilin cuisine is also typified by its sweetness and delicate use of spice and chili. Bamboo leaves stuffed with sweet rice are a great Guilin snack available all over the city and also in some of the restaurants. The city also has some fine upmarket restaurants where you can sample typical local dishes. The Guilin Hotel Restaurant has a nice environment to sample some of this food and the Chicken Balls with chestnut are especially good here.

If you fancy a break from Chinese food there are also some fantastic options available here. The Empire Garden Hotel Restaurant has a fabulous Japanese and French restaurant where you can sample good food amidst an elegant environment.

source: CRIENGLISH.com