A small and quiet city by Chinese standards, Guilin is a modern and bustling Chinese urban area with about 6 million inhabitants located in Guangxi Province.
Known throughout China for the sheer beauty of the surrounding nature, Guilin is a popular destination for Chinese tourism. The giant trees, the dedicated parks and green spaces, and the rivers and lakes all add to the natural beauty.
One of my favorite pictures of Guilin is the one above, because the sidewalks and pedestrian walkways are really that beautiful!
Like in most of China, cities are places where the ultra modern and aspects from traditional villages co-exist or are right next to each other.
Though sky rise buildings are being erected, some people remain chilling on their traditional bamboo rafts floating on the Li River and fishing like the old days!
Just steps away from the mighty Li River are the modern asphalt streets of Guilin and the flashing neon lights of advertising.
Yet, even with giant LCD screens and bright lights, the thing I liked about Guilin was the neatly manicured landscaping – even on the major roads.
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One of the largest and most prestigious universities in Guilin is the “Guangxi Normal University.” Not sure how or why “Normal” was included in the name, but the campus is far from normal.
The entrance is through an arch of the ancient city wall.
The university is home to a number of historical attractions of Guilin and is known for its old Chinese architecture.
The tree on the left is known as the “Husband and Wife”, two different trees that grew together.
On the right is a monument dedicated to Sun Yat-sen, considered the modern founding father of the Republic of China.
Located in the center of Guilin is the famous Elephant Trunk Hill. Does it look like an elephant trunk to you?
Just like the beauty of Yangshuo, Guilin is surrounded by fascinating rock formations and gorgeous jagged mountains.
The most iconic symbols that represents the city of Guilin are the twin Sun and Moon pagodas located in a beautiful Guilin park in the center of Shan Lake.
They are most beautiful at night with the lights come on!
Food is always and will forever be of utmost importance in China, and each region has its own specialty. Among the many tasty Chinese dishes to eat are Guilin rice noodles.
Guilin noodles include spaghetti like rice noodles bathed in meaty broth and covered in Chinese pickled vegetables, slices of meat, garlic, chili sauce and green onions.
Chinese have a gift when it comes to creating parks – and in Guilin parks are gorgeous and plentiful.
This main Guilin park is a huge green space full of lakes, intricate bridges, lots of vegetation, and countless people doing Tai Chi, practicing calligraphy and just walking the dog!
Have you been to Guilin?
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Bob Walnut
2 years ago
Thank you for providing with a detailed info about this wonderful city, Guilin. Will definitely visit this place in my next trip.
Vishal Kaushik
3 years ago
Wow…That’s Great.
Kenneth
6 years ago
I love Guilin. I remember it being as beautiful as your pictures
The Time-Crunched Traveler (Ellen)
10 years ago
We’re living in China now and hoping to visit Guilin during our time here. Really want to do the Li River cruise. What a gorgeous town — just wish it wasn’t so far away from Tianjin / Beijing!
Mark Wiens
10 years ago
Hey Ellen, hope you’re able to visit, it really is a gorgeous area!
Angela
11 years ago
Wow gorgeous city, I haven’t visit it when I was in China, huge regret. When I go back I’ll spend a couple of days there and I’ll do the boat tour to see the mountains, I’ve seen some pictures and the view is stunning.
Mark Wiens
11 years ago
Hey Angela, thanks for checking this out. Guilin, and also Yangshuo, are both beautiful cities, I know you’ll enjoy the scenery if you visit.
Jeff
11 years ago
Have I been to Guilin? I’m in Guilin right now!
Mark Wiens
11 years ago
Great, hope you having a wonderful time!
Bama
11 years ago
I remember passing through that gate of Guangxi Normal University when my friend and I were looking for our hotel. We were not impressed upon arriving at this city. But when we explored further, it turned out quite pleasant compared to other Chinese cities. I love their leafy and wide pedestrian walks.
Mark Wiens
11 years ago
Thanks for sharing Bama, glad you also enjoyed Guilin. I agree with you, the trees and wide sidewalks are great!
Steph (@ 20 Years Hence)
11 years ago
Tony & I really struggled while we were in China, but Guilin was a delightful surprise for us! So many people told us it was a city like any other in China and we should get out of there as fast as possible. Instead, we were charmed by its climate and greenery, and found the people to be some of the friendliest we met in China. We didn’t explore the city as much as we could have, but it is one of the few places in China where we were quite happy!
Mark Wiens
11 years ago
That’s great to hear Steph, glad you enjoyed it in Guilin. I also didn’t have enough time to explore, I was mostly in the much smaller Yangshuo, but while I was in Guilin for a bit, I had a great time. It’s a big city, but still seems smaller and friendlier than other big cities!
Kwong
11 years ago
My wife is from here and these pics bring back memories of my visits to see her before we got married. I love the city. And the Guilin rice noodles.
Mark Wiens
11 years ago
Great to hear that Kwong! It is a beautiful place, and yes, those Guilin noodles are awesome!