Guilin

Guilin is one of China's most famous places of historic interest and scenic beauty. Its scenery enjoys the highest fame under the Heaven. Lying in the northeast of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and within the subtropical region, it enjoys a mild temperature with a yearly average temperature of 19℃. The city area of Guilin is 50 square kilometers and the population is about 500,000.

The region of Guilin takes on a Karst feature. Geological studies show that the original Guilin was a vast expanse of sea until 300 million years ago, the crustal movement made the limestone deposit in the deep sea rise and gradually formed to land. Being effloresced and eroded, it finally became the mountains with different shapes, the grottoes with beautiful views and the aboveground rivers with mysterious stories. These mountains with strangely shaped peaks and caves of unique formation, together with the crystal-clear Lijiang River that surrounds the city, characterize Guilin's scenery and have brought it world fame.

The special landmark integrated with the attractive pastorals has gained Guilin the fame of the finest under the Heaven. Guilin is a compact community by scores of minority nationalities. The population from 28 ethic nationalities such as the Zhuang, Miao, Yao, and Dong accounts for 8.5% of the total population in Guilin. The marvelous landscape makes the folk customs more delicate and fresh, in turn the unique customs enhances the beauty and vitality of the landscape.

Guilin has a splendid civilization. The prehistory civilization is represented by the Zhenpi Rock, the water conservancy civilization by the Ling Canal built in the Qin Dynasty (221-206BC), the Ming Fanwang civilization by the Jingjiang Tombs and Mansions, the landscape civilization by the Cliffside stone carvings and the landscape poems. Now 109 cultural relics sites are under the national, provincial and city level special protection. Poems, verses and Buddhist carvings can be found all over the caves and holes of the mountains, among which the most famous ones are the Stele Forest of Guilin and the Cliffside Stone Carvings on the Western Hill.