Guilin's Calling Card — Two Rivers and Four Lakes, Even More Beautiful on a Night Cruise
The Two Rivers and Four Lakes refer to the round-city water system of Guilin formed by Rong Lake, Shan Lake, Gui Lake, Mulong Lake, the Li River, and the Peach Blossom River. The interconnected waterways of the Two Rivers and Four Lakes constitute the most beautiful round-city scenic belt in the center of Guilin.
Guilin is a typical landscape city, and its natural mountains and waters are the basic elements that make up Guilin's urban landscape. The Two Rivers and Four Lakes Scenic Area truly embodies the wonderful scenery of "a thousand peaks standing around the wilds, a river embracing the city" and the poetic and picturesque charm of "the city within the scenery, the scenery within the city." As the only classic round-trip tour route in the center of Guilin, a boat cruise allows visitors to admire more than ten traditional famous mountains along the banks of the Li River, including Elephant Trunk Hill, Fubo Hill, Diecai Hill, Qixing Hill, Yao Hill, Yushan, Laoren Hill, Liuma Hill, Baoji Hill, and Tiefeng Hill; famous historical sites and ancient monuments along the banks of the Peach Blossom River such as the Sarira Pagoda, Hongqiao Dam, Zhuzi Archway, and Dujiao Pavilion; and also to tour three major scenic zones, each with its own distinctive features: the Chinese classical garden — the Rong and Shan Lakes Scenic Area, the ecological garden of harmony between heaven and humanity — the Gui Lake Scenic Area, and the Song Dynasty historical and cultural garden — the Mulong Lake Scenic Area; and to enjoy the scenic area's World Famous Bridges Expo Park, Famous Flowers and Trees Expo Park, Pavilions, Terraces, and Towers Expo Park, and Sculpture Expo Park. The landscaping of the three scenic areas — whether pavilions, terraces, towers, gardens, and sculptures of famous people, or famous flowers, famous grasses, famous pavilions, and the Guilin landscape poetry corridor, or Gui opera, Caidiao, quyi, bronze drum dance, and cormorant fishing shows — highlights the beautiful natural landscape, profound historical accumulation, and unique cultural connotations that Guilin possesses as a famous historical and cultural city of China.
The Two Rivers and Four Lakes fully reveal the charm of green mountains and blue waters, the elegance of garden flowers, the richness of history and culture, and the embellishment of exotic customs. Together with the distinctive bridges of various shapes along the way, the scenery is simply breathtaking and makes one linger with no thought of leaving. Especially at night, under the reflection of brilliant artistic lighting, it reveals a elegant artistic conception that is colorful, fantastically beautiful, and infinitely imaginative. It lets people comprehend the harmonious unity of city and landscape, savor the beautiful scroll of "Guilin's scenery is the best under heaven," and appreciate why in the world there would be the sigh, "I would rather be a Guilin person than a god."
Opening hours: 8:00—22:00
The Two Rivers are the Li River and the Peach Blossom River; the Four Lakes are Rong Lake, Shan Lake, Gui Lake, and Mulong Lake. The Four Lakes were Guilin's ancient moat, and as early as the Song Dynasty, literati had already begun boating and sightseeing there. A boat tour of the Four Lakes allows one to fully enjoy Guilin's famous mountains, waters, and bridges, ancient city gates, and ancient canals, and to take in a panoramic view of Guilin's urban construction style. The unique Guilin landscape, strange stones, and night views should still be worth seeing!