Guilin, Scenes Straight from a Storybook

For many visitors to China, it is the bustling cities of Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, together with man-made treasures like the Great Wall and the famous terra-cotta warriors at Xian, that are the main draw.

Release time : 2017-11-29 10:09:09

source : http://travelweekly-china.com

Guilin, an area on a lake with a natural feature of a large rock formation in the shape of an elephant dipping its trunk into the water. A couple of fishermen were showing how fish are caught by trained cormorants. The park also features an odd collection of sculptures and tree formations and was packed with locals.

The region is famous for growing tea, and it is an instructive experience to attend one of the excellent tea ceremonies and learn about the different teas and how to prepare it.

The most popular stretch of the Li River for the scenery is between Guilin and Yangshuo about 60 miles away, but if time is short, then there are shorter cruises available from both cities. Along the river are many small villages; water buffalo wallow in the water, and there are plenty of fishermen trying for the day's catch.

Yangshuo is another popular tourist town. West Street is a focal point for tourists, with its many bars and restaurants and souvenir shops. We watched a couple of powerful men pounding nuts and other ingredients to make delicious, nougat-like biscuits.

At night don't miss the outdoor show "Impression of Liu San Jie," with over 600 performers on platforms on a lake blending the culture of the ethnic minorities in an impressive sound-and-light spectacle.

Not far from Yangshuo through Longsheng, a winding road takes you up a mountainside to the amazing Devil's Backbone Rice Terraces near Longji village. The terraces, which date from the Yuan Dynasty in the 13th and 14th centuries, derive their name from their resemblance to dragon scales, the terraces blending in with the natural curves of the hillside.

Visitors can pay for a ride up to the village on top of the mountain from the bus parking place, but it is worthwhile to walk along the pathway to get the best perspective of this site linking human labor and natural landscape.

A number of ethnic minorities live in the Guangxi province, and a visit to some of their villages is