Guilin with its peculiar karst formation landscape and wonderful natural scenery has attracted
millions of tourists from various parts of the country and the world.
Guilin's landscape was born and bred by nature's creative activities which seems to have done
it a special favor.
More than 200 million years ago this region was a vast sea of water.
Through thousands and thousands of years of vicissitudes this karst area has been developed
into a unique fairyland known as the Guilin landscape.
It looks like a huge gallery of paintings created by nature for the human beings.
The Guilin landscape has won a worldwide reputation for its green hills, clear waters, fantastic
caves and spectacular rocks, particularly the hills here.
They are shaped in thousands of shapes appearing to be whatever you imagine.
They are all covered with greenery overlapping one another here and there like a group of
beauties decorating Guilin to be as beautiful as a poem or painting.
Look at this huge elephant, it stands by the Li River drinking water with its trunk.
This is Elephant Trunk Hill and now has become a symbol of Guilin.
The Moon in the Water Cave is one of the most attractive scenic spots in Guilin.
It is a big circular shaped cave between the trunk and the forward legs of the elephant.
It is filled halfway up with water like a bright moon staying upright on the water
and in the same water it hides another moon, its reflection.
When one is gone away with the ripplings, one still floats on its surface.
What a lyric picture.
The hill is like an elephant and the elephant like a hill.
This is a masterpiece of nature.
Fubo Hill stands alone by the Li River with half of its eastern foot submerged in the
water and the west foot on the land.
If you climb up the hill you can see seven star hills beyond the river and folded
brocade hill northward.
The famous Testing Sword Stone is situated in the returning Pearl Cave at the foot of
the hill.
In the cave on the walls and ceilings are Buddhist images carved in relief.
They are over one thousand years old.
The Testing Sword Stone.
It is said that in the first century there was a general called Fubo who tested his sword
here.
Just by a single slash the bottom of the stone was cut off and that is how it got its name.
D.H.I.
Hill or Folded Brocade Hill.
This hill is called Folded Brocade Hill because the rocks run horizontally and the rocks
are clearly defined strata one above the other like bolts of brocade.
The hill is a gathering place for relics of an ancient culture.
The figures of Buddha in the hill have a special cultural style which indicates the author's
skillful craft and carving, outstanding creativity and significant imagination.
Though it has been tested by all sorts of weather over the years it still looks vivid
and elegant as if he was going on in sermon exploring the very nature of the world.
Standing here thousands of hills surrounding him.
Flowing here a clear river embraces the town.
Bright Moon Peak on the top of the Ic-Sai Hill is the most advantageous place to have
a bird's eye view of Guilin.
Solitary Beauty Peak.
John Gu, a poet in the Tang Dynasty once wrote a poem to honor this peak.
It says, the solitary peak is so exclusive it stands far away from the other hills and
props up the sky like a killer in the south as if it was established harmoniously by the
heavens and the earth.
This peak is an honor of Guilin.
People regard it as another symbol of the city.
It is because its hills are so distinguished from any other place and its ribbon-like clear
river winds its way among the green hills that Guilin owns the crown of superb landscapes
in China and gives so much appreciation and admiration from the world.
There is a saying, there are no hills without a cave and there are no caves without spectacular
rocks.
This is another feature of Guilin's landscape.
In the Karst Caves you can see the various stalactites and stalagmites, stone pillars,
stone curtains, stone shields and so on, formed in a thousand and one fabulous shapes.
They are like a group of statues full of charm, one after another presenting themselves in
front of you.
You may wonder if you were not on earth but in a fairy cave home in a fairy land.
The Li River, like a long green ribbon decorated with jewels, is a highlight of Guilin's landscape.
When you go on a cruise boat down the Li River you will be deeply impressed by its charm
of stately elegance, magnificence and rarity.
This one hundred kilometers of river to Yangshuo seems to be a green ribbon winding along,
leading you through this fairy land.
The river is like a green ribbon and its hills emerald hairpins.
The green peaks are clearly reflected on the water's surface and boats sail as if going
among the peaks' summits.
There are many hymns and poems appreciating this fantastic landscape.
The hills look much more lively because of the river flowing by and the river more charming
due to the company of the hills.
The clear river is coupled with the green hills, making this landscape a quite lyric picture
which is as long and versatile as the river itself.
Each nation has its own way of living formed by each's circumstance.
So it is the same here, as the clear water nourishes a pure way of living and pure social custom.
To have a glimpse of the local life here will be one great pleasure of your tour in China.
The vast fields are the homeland of the local people.
The peculiar style of the buildings in the villages embody a simple and natural way of living
that may be as old as a legend.
Ah, the folk song.
They are so moving and meaningful and the folk dance is so cheerful and lighthearted
that they all take you into a jubilant world.
It is because of this beautiful landscape being here that such charming songs and dances have been cultivated.
Ah, the folk song.
They are so moving and meaningful and the folk dance is so cheerful and lighthearted
that they all take you into a jubilant world.
It is because of this beautiful landscape being here that such charming songs and dances have been cultivated.
Ah, the folk song.
The Li River in May is a jubilant river, where the dragon boat race will be showing on the water.
At that time, breathtaking performances are so splendid and exciting
that there are too many scenes for the eye to take in.
The sounds of gongs and drums are deafening.
The cheers are filled with exultation.
The oars roll swiftly and disturb the clear water into foaming waves
deep at your heart's window and let your thoughts fly up and down.
The green hills and clear water certainly are as beautiful as a picture
and make Guilin the crown of the third landscapes in the world.
The Li River in May