--Travel Notes in Guilin, Guangxi

Guilin is a magical and familiar city. The magic is because of its unique karst natural landscape and all-encompassing ethnic and cultural atmosphere. The familiarity is because of the pattern on the RMB 20 yuan and the famous sentence I learned when I was in primary school textbooks."Guilin's mountains and rivers are the best in the world".

The saying that Guilin's mountains and rivers are the best in the world has been passed down for thousands of years has added endless charm to Guilin's attraction to tourists from all over the world.

The beauty of Guilin lies in the perfect integration of mountains and rivers. The reflection of the mountains is amazing, and the comity of the water is even more amazing.

The beauty of Guilin lies in the simple and beautiful Dong Village in Yao Township, and in the sweet love songs of young boys and girls in Zhuang Township.

For Guilin, it always seems difficult to give up, and Guilin always seems to call me. The world-class beauty here always makes me dream of it.

So, I decided to go there to have a look, take a walk, and appreciate the water of the Li River, the mountains of Yangshuo, and the songs of girls from Zhuang Township, and experience the beauty of Guilin for myself.

At 6.30 in the morning on August 29, 2020, a group of 47 of us took a tourist bus from Shaoshan, Hunan Province. After about seven hours 'drive, we arrived in Guilin, Guangxi.

Below, I will share it with you based on the itinerary of tourist attractions in Guilin.

First stop: Zizhou Island

Zizhou Island is located on Zizhou on the east bank of the Li River in the center of Guilin. It faces Elephant Trunk Mountain across the river. It is one of the best angles to view Elephant Trunk Mountain and is the earliest garden site in Guilin's history.

The tour guide said that Zizhou Island was rebuilt in 2011, restoring the scenic scenery of "Zizhou Yanyu" and "Zizhou Red Leaf Guilin Autumn", forming 10 new landscapes, including flying waterfalls and rainbows, a history of poetry and painting, maple leaves left behind, misty rain and green, and bamboo forests. Clear scenery, fragrant camphor trees surrounded by green trees, bamboo umbrella covers, ginkgo dripping gold, stele pavilions, and mountains and rivers.

At the same time, this is the best angle to appreciate Elephant Trunk Mountain, and there are many viewing points. Only here can we enjoy Elephant Trunk Mountain, a landmark attraction representing the emblem of Guilin. Therefore, it has become a check-in place for Chinese and foreign tourists to visit Guilin's mountains and rivers and appreciate Guilin's cultural tourism.

Second stop: Sun and Moon Twin Towers

The Sun and Moon Twin Towers are two pagodas located in the fir lake in the center of Guilin City. The Sun Tower is a copper tower and the Moon Tower is a glazed tower. The two towers are connected by a more than 10-meter-long lake tunnel at the bottom of the lake. Every night, the two towers emit gold and silver light against the lights, and the scene reflected in the lake is particularly beautiful.

The sun tower is 41 meters high and has nine floors. Its entire body is decorated with pure copper and is resplendent. All components of the copper tower such as the tower body, tiles, angled corners, columns and beams, and ground are completely decorated with copper murals.

The Moon Tower is 35 meters high and has seven floors. It is a glazed tower. It is connected to the Sun Tower through a lake bottom tunnel more than 10 meters long underwater. The carved and painted doors and windows on each floor of the Moon Tower imply different themes and are rich in traditional Chinese charm.

It is said that Riyue Twin Towers Park is the first cultural park in China with the theme of "The Harmony of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism". Among them, Riyue Tower has created three best in the world. Unfortunately, due to time, it is only far away along the banks of Shanhu Lake. I took a look and took a few photos.

Third stop: Hydianshan

Grape Mountain Scenic Area is located in Grape Town, Yangshuo County, Guilin City. The typical karst peak forest landform in the scenic area is perfectly combined and unified with the Yao customs. The Yangshuo Diatian Mountains, known as the "World Peak Forest", stand continuously and are spectacular.

It is said that the "Didiyashan" is named after its success in producing sour grapes. There is a cave "Guanyin Cave" on the mountain. The roads in the cave are tortuous and the stalactites have different shapes. There are naturally formed Guanyin statues, and the ancient vines running through the entire mountain are very thick. It is unique for its mountainous taste and a pure land with overlapping peaks and forests.

Fourth stop: Jinshuiyan

Jinshui Rock is a famous underground river crystal cave in Yangshuo. It crosses three mountains and is about five kilometers long. The cave has three floors and is divided into three areas, namely the dry cave paradise area, the mud bath area, and the underground river hot spring area.

The stalactites in the cave are majestic and abrupt, crisscrossing, like a "Dragon Palace". In the cave, you can view the natural image of the "God Bodhisattva", known as the treasure of the cave, as well as the "Underwater Dragon Palace","Monkey King Throne","Palace Umbrella" and other landscapes.

It is said that the Water Curtain Cave in "Journey to the West" was filmed here. At the same time, there are hot springs and mud baths in the cave. If you want, you can also have a mud bath in the black mud pool with health effects.

Fifth Station: Moon Mountain

Moon Mountain is a wonderful sight in Yangshuo. It is located at the end of the Shili Gallery landscape belt. Moon Mountain is an arched mountain peak with a large hole running through it under the top of the mountain, like a bright moon, completely natural.

Moon Mountain is about 380 meters high. Visitors can follow a climbing path of more than 800 meters directly to the moon cave on the top of the mountain. They can also view this Moon Mountain from different angles. If you are admiring the Moon Mountain on a car, the shape of the stone arch will change from The curved first quarter moon gradually becomes a half moon, a full moon, and then a lower quarter moon. It is very wonderful.

Sixth Station: Boat Tour on the Lijiang River

Guilin Lijiang Scenic Area, a world natural heritage site, a national AAAAA tourist attraction, and a national key scenic spot. It is the largest and most beautiful karst landscape tourist area in the world.

The Li River, also known as the Guishui River, Guijiang River, Guishui River and Dongjiang River, flows through Guilin City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. It is nurtured by the basin with a unique and world-renowned natural landscape Guilin landscape."The river is a green belt, and the mountains are like a jade hairpin."

It has beautiful scenery, beautiful mountains and waters, and beautiful caves and rocks. It is a famous scenic spot at home and abroad. Unfortunately, the tour guide did not take us to tour the real Lijiang River section from Guilin to Yangshuo. Instead, he took us to Pingle to tour the so-called Lijiang River and tour Guilin's ancient trading roads by boat. Experience the same Lijiang River and different scenery.

Seventh stop: Yangshuo Park

Yangshuo Park is a citizen leisure park in Yangshuo County, adjacent to Yangshuo West Street. The park is built against a mountain and has a quiet environment. Climbing to the top of the mountain, you can have a panoramic view of the Yangshuo County surrounded by peaks.

The park has a long history. The three peaks of Duxiu Mountain, Xilang Mountain and Zhongling Mountain are independent of the park. They are shaded by trees and have the charm of Jiangnan gardens. Go straight up to the peak with the landscape pavilion and you can climb to the top of the mountain., see the whole picture of Yangshuo, but because it was late, I had to give up climbing and take several scenes in the park.

Eighth Station: Yangshuo West Street

Yangshuo West Street is one of the most prosperous pedestrian streets in Yangshuo County. It is located in the center of Yangshuo Ancient Town. It is about 8 meters wide and nearly 800 meters long. The street is made of stone slabs in a curved S-shape and has a history of more than 1400 years.

West Street is the oldest and most prosperous street in Yangshuo. It is also the most fashionable business card in Yangshuo. It is also a paradise for young people. Everyone has their own purpose when shopping here, visiting bars, foraging, and being in a daze. However, they can coexist harmoniously.

When you come to West Street, you should try the delicious food here. It is said that the most famous one is beer fish, as well as Guilin rice noodles, nun vegetarian noodles, river snails, lotus leaf duck, tea oil, etc. There are too many delicious food, so I just want to try it. I only ordered a bowl of Guilin rice noodles to satisfy my cravings.

Ninth stop: Youziwan

Youzi Bay is probably located in the suburbs of Guilin. It was taken by a tour guide. It is actually a shopping spot, but the stockade is also good. It is built next to mountains and rivers. Various houses, stockade doors, attics, Drum Tower and other attractions are built according to the Dong stockade pattern.

We first visited the scenic spot in the village and listened to the tour guide explaining the customs and traditions of ethnic minorities, how the Dong people treat diseases, etc., then visited silver jewelry and the making process of silver jewelry, etc., and finally went shopping (mainly silver jewelry).

Tenth stop: Nanxishan Park

Nanxishan Park is located at Jiangjun Qiaotou in the south of Guilin City, about 1 kilometer away from the railway station. It is named because of the lingering Nanxi River. The mountain has two east and west peaks, which are parallel to each other and stretch thousands of feet. On the cliffs in the north, the rocks are white. After the rain, the clouds and clouds are beginning to dissipate, and the sun shines on the rocks and shines brightly.

Nanxi Mountain Cave is numerous and strange, with Bailong Cave being the most famous, with a height of 20 meters and a width of 12 meters. It houses the former site of the Mint during the Republic of China. There is Bailong Bridge built on the Nanxi River, and Bailongquan River along the stream in the north of the mountain. It is one of the famous springs in Guilin. In ancient times,"Nanxi Xinji" was one of the eight scenic spots in Guilin.

Really, Guilin will never lack the gifts of nature. Guilin is a city that is not lacking in beauty. It is a city that never tires of no matter how you look at it. This is the highest state of the blending of mountains and rivers, the best portrayal of a paradise, and it is also a place that must be visited in my life. I hope to have the opportunity to visit Guilin again.