South China Accommodation & Holidays Guide
China, East Asia
Guilin is one of the most beautiful and most-visited cities in China – it has some beautiful natural sights, as well as parks, museums, temples and caves. Guilin is also an excellent base if you want to see more of the region, including tea plantations, natural parks, monasteries, lakes and rice terraces. Guilin and around are popular with tourists who want to see the sights. However, the area is also popular with backpackers who are travelling overland through China and to Tibet. A range of accommodation is available in Guilin, including both budget and luxury hotels. Guilinese cuisine is similar to Cantonese, but has more of an emphasis on fish.
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There’s a lot to see in Guilin itself. The Elephant Trunk Hill is a natural phenomenon and is something of an emblem of the city – basically, it’s a rocky outcrop into a lake with an arch-shaped hole worn into the middle, so that the remaining rocks look like an elephant drinking from the lake. It’s best seen as a boat excursion. The Diecai Mountains are part of a park that’s been built around the naturally occurring rocky peaks. You can climb staircases up to the top of these peaks, to get a great view of the city below. There’s also a zoo with red and giant pandas, as well as a range of other Chinese wildlife.
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Once you’re in Guilin, you can do many day trips out into the surrounding areas. The Dragon-Backed Mountains at Longsheng are well worth a visit, as the peaks have been extensively terraced to make them suitable for growing rice – you’ll be amazed at the elaborate patterns formed by the paddy fields. Guiping is famous for its tea, and also has a ‘Scenic Mountain Area’, where the hills are scattered with pagodas and paddy fields. Nanning is the regional capital – its great for shopping, and also has several parks and museums to visit. Further away, Lugu Lake is a great place for relaxing, sailing and hiking.
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