Guilin Landscape: Countless green mountains rise from the water

Author: Wang Xiaodong
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-01-01
Features: Guilin, located in Guangxi, China, is a world-famous tourist destination and a historic and cultural city. "The landscapes of Guilin are the best under heaven" is a praise for the scenic beauty of Guilin. Within a radius of over 100 kilometers around Guilin, there are green mountains, lush fields, and numerous peculiar peaks. The beautiful Li River winds through the city in a serpentine path. Along the 83-kilometer water route from Guilin to Yangshuo on the Li River, "countless green mountains rise from the water," creating a poetic and picturesque scene that is refreshing and uplifting. The history of Guilin can be traced back over 2,000 years, dating back to when Qin Shi Huang dug the Ling Canal to connect the Xiang River and the Li River, making Guilin a key town in the southern frontier. Over the millennia, countless poems, essays, and verses by scholars and artists praising and singing the praises of Guilin's landscapes have been passed down to this day through various forms of cliff carvings. From prehistoric cultural sites dating back tens of thousands of years, to Ming Dynasty stone tombs, to the numerous cliff carvings scattered throughout Guilin, as well as various sculptures and quaint old towns, all add a rich cultural dimension to the Guilin landscape, which is renowned for its green mountains, clear waters, unique caves, and beautiful rocks. Guilin is a typical karst (limestone cave) landscape area. Several hundred million years ago, this area was still part of the sea, with thousands of meters of limestone deposited on the seabed. Due to tectonic movements, the rocks deep underwater rose, the sea retreated, and the land was formed. After that, it took about 70 million years of weathering, erosion, and dissolution by rainwater to finally develop into the Guilin landscape of towering peaks, winding clear waters, spectacular rocks, and deep caves. Guilin is also a city with a multi-ethnic population, where eleven ethnic groups—Han, Zhuang, Miao, Yao, and others—with a total population of about 1.25 million live together. The different ethnic groups, their unique clothing, and their distinct customs in Yao Mountains, Dong Villages, and Miao Mountains make Guilin's folk culture diverse and colorful, attracting numerous domestic and international tourists. In 1982, the Guilin Li River Scenic Area was listed by the State Council as one of the first batch of national-level key scenic areas. In 1982, Guilin was also announced by the State Council as one of the first 24 national-level historic and cultural cities. Today, Guilin has become a world-renowned tourist city, attracting a large number of Chinese and foreign tourists every year. With the continuous increase in tourists, the development of tourism service facilities in Guilin has also been rapidly advancing. Now, there are more than 20 air routes that can fly directly to Hong Kong and major domestic tourist cities. Today, when visiting Guilin, in addition to the Guilin landscape tours, tourists can also choose from a variety of attractions and activities such as the Longsheng Huaping Primitive Forest in the surrounding areas, the ancient Qin embankment of the Ling Canal in Xing'an, and the Zijiang Rafting.