Pictures of Guilin: China’s City Renowned for its Beauty

By Mark Wiens 15 Comments
Pictures of Guilin
One of my favorite pictures of Guilin, China

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!

Guilin
Guilin: Modern and Traditional

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!

Modern Streets of Guilin, China
Modern Streets of Guilin, China

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.

Guangxi Normal University
Guangxi Normal University

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.

Pictures of Guilin
Old Building of China

The university is home to a number of historical attractions of Guilin and is known for its old Chinese architecture.

Photos of Guilin
Guilin, China

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.

Pictures of Guilin
Elephant Trunk Hill, Guilin, 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.

Guilin, China
Sun and Moon Pagodas, Guilin, China

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!

Famous Guilin Noodles
Famous Guilin Noodles

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.

Central Park in Guilin
Central Park in Guilin

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?

15 comments. I'd love to hear from you!

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  • Bob Walnut

    3 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

    4 years ago

    Wow…That’s Great.

  • Kenneth

    7 years ago

    I love Guilin. I remember it being as beautiful as your pictures

  • The Time-Crunched Traveler (Ellen)

    11 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

      11 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!

  • 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!