Four Days in Guilin

“Guilin’s scenery is the most beautiful under heaven.” Chinese saying goes like this describing the beauty of Guilin. Four of us, had a 4-day trip to Guilin, Yangshuo, Longsheng last week. We enjoyed the stunning natural beauty and the fabulous Li River Cruise, met a number of China’s ethnic minority groups, tasted the wonderful local food, and strolled around its ancient streets. Guilin area is indeed the jewel of China’s tourist industry on account of its natural beauty and historic treasures. Thanks to the China Odyssey Tours, we had a great time.

Day 1: Guilin city

Flight landed in Guilin at 1:15, and then we went to the hotel. The check-in was pleasant and smooth. Not before long we began the exciting city tour. Guilin is a small city with a history over of than 2,000 years. We were immediately struck by the beauty of this region.

Later we went outside for something to eat. The most famous snack in Guilin was the rice noodles so we definitely would not miss it. Having randomly chosen a small restaurant right beside the hotel, each of us ordered a bowl of rice noodle. The taste was refreshing. Here I’d like to recommend it to every gourmet who will come to Guilin.

Finished lunch we went to the Reed Flute Cave first. The cave is known as "the Palace of Natural Arts," located in the northwest of Guilin City , just 20 minutes' drive from our hotel. Our guide Li told us that the cave got its name because people believed that the reed by the cave's mouth could be made into flutes. The cave offered a majestic fairyland of karst caves with landscape and rural scenery. It is a magic fairyland of stalactites, stalagmites, stone pillars, stone curtains, birds, plants and animals in fantastic shapes and colors, all glistening in colorful lights. Some of them were given names such as Pines in the Snow, Mushroom Hill, Dragon Pagoda, Sky-Scraping Twin, Virgin Forests, Red Curtain, etc.