Guilin
The Li River runs so clear you can count the pebbles on its bed; limestone peaks shoot straight from the earth, and noodle counters fill before sunrise.
Guilin rests within the limestone karst forest of northern Guangxi, where the emerald ribbon of the Li River cuts southward past vertical green pinnacles. Solitary limestone towers rise abruptly from flat alluvial soil, from Elephant Trunk Hill drinking at the water's edge to the multi-layered stone crests of Diecai Hill. From dawn queues at neighborhood rice noodle stalls to bamboo rafts drifting through misty peaks toward Xingping, Guilin embodies the quintessential poetic landscape of classical China.
What to see
The Two Rivers and Four Lakes system rings the historic core with peaceful willow-shaded boardwalks; Duxiu Peak at the Ming Prince Palace offers 360-degree vistas over city peaks; downstream, Xingping showcases Nine Horses Mural Hill and the reflection of green bluffs; Yulong River offers silent drift on hand-poled bamboo rafts beneath bamboo groves.
What to eat
Rice noodles are an undisputed daily staple: scalded rice vermicelli tossed with aged spice-infused master brine, crispy crackling pork slices (guoshao), braised beef, pickled long beans, and fried soybeans, followed by a warm bone broth rinse; Yangshuo beer fish pairs river carp with peppers and local beer simmered in cast-iron woks.
Getting here & around
Guilin Liangjiang International Airport connects major hubs, while Guilin and Guilin North stations sit along the Guiyang-Guangzhou high-speed line; city sights are walkable, and reaching Yangshuo can be done via morning river cruise boats or a 30-minute bullet train ride.
Choose a neighbourhood
Each area offers a different side of the city. Pick one to explore at your own pace.
Duxiu Peak & Two Rivers, Four Lakes Core
The historic cradle of the city: the Ming Prince Palace surrounds the steep limestone cone of Duxiu Peak, with the Sun and Moon twin pagodas reflected in quiet lakeside pools.
Climbing Duxiu Peak for panoramic city views, strolling around lakeside willow promenades, and exploring the Ming prince compound.
Xingping Ancient Town & Li River Karst
The visual crown of the Li River landscape, framing the famed 20-yuan banknote scene at Yellow Cloth Shoal, backed by ancient riverside alleys and wooden passenger skiffs.
Drifting along scenic limestone river gorges, shooting sunset reflections over emerald shoals, and wandering historic town streets.
Yulong River Valley & Jiuxian Countryside
A pastoral paradise along the Li River's most tranquil tributary, shaded by weeping bamboo groves, ancient stone arch bridges, and heritage Qing villages amidst green paddy fields.
Experiencing peaceful hand-poled bamboo rafting, cycling along quiet rural farm paths, and admiring Ming stone arch bridges.
The Master Brine and Crispy Guoshao
The authentic way to eat Guilin rice noodles is lucai ganlao, tossed dry with aromatic master brine. In morning shops, stockpots bubble with dark, glossy brine simmered from marrow bones, star anise, cinnamon, and medicinal aromatics. Scalded rice vermicelli is drained bone-dry and tipped into a bowl, ladled with a single spoonful of rich concentrate. Slices of guoshao (pork belly with skin punctured, rubbed with rice vinegar, and flash-fried into golden crisp bubbles) shatter delightfully under the teeth. After finishing the dry noodles, diners scoop a ladle of steaming clear bone broth into the remaining sauce to finish.
A Bamboo Pole in Emerald Water
The Li River runs so clear that fronds of emerald waterweed seem close enough to touch. At dawn, boatmen plant long bamboo poles against river gravel, sending slender rafts gliding silently into jade currents. Morning mists drift between limestone pinnacles formed by ancient tectonic upheavals, while weeping bamboo dips its feathery plumes into the water. Reflections of craggy karst bluffs mirror with calligraphic perfection across the surface, turning the entire waterway into a classical landscape scroll in motion.
The Five-Century Arch of Fuli Bridge
On the upper reaches of the Yulong River, Fuli Bridge has stood since the Ming dynasty. Spanning thirty metres as a single stone arch, its clean masonry meets its watery reflection to create a perfect circle suspended over emerald pools. Having withstood five centuries of summer freshets, wild vines and ancient ivy drape its weathered limestone parapets. Surrounded by open paddies where water buffalo graze in shallow shallows, the view from the bridge crest captures Yangshuo's most serene pastoral rhythm.