GUILIN. SIGHTS OF INTEREST. Lijiceng River
Boat trip from Guilin along Li River presents one of the finest excursions on you tour of China. The journey downstream to Yangshuo offers 83 kilimeters of breathtaking scenery. Each bend of the limpid river offers you a new portion of gorgeous karst peaks under the blue sky. One of the first points of interests is the
Elephant Trunk Hill used as the symbol of Guilin City. Further downstream you pass
Baotashan with a Ming Dynasty pagoda on the top, then the Hill with a Hole goes to the east, a
series of beautiful scenes to the south, Crown Cave or Guanyan, a crown-like crag with 12 kilometers long water-eroded cave. It’s a wonderland of various stalactite, stone pillars and rock formations. Illuminating lights, sound control tour guide system and escalators equipped in the scenic area, sightseeing cars and boats enable the visitors to make a tour inside the cave. Not far from the Crown Cave a huge rock descends into the river and cuts off a footpath by the water edge. It gets its name
Half-Side Ferry or Ban Bian Du as usually villagers have to take a boat to cross the water and reach the other side and continue the way. Downstream from Yangdi to Xingpin, the river passes an endless procession of distinct peaks and bamboo groves, stunning landscape. Water buffalo patrol on the fields, ducks paddle in the water, peasants reap paddy in front of village houses, fishermen fish with the help of cormorants, kids go home singing songs, - an idyllic and beautiful scene. Murall Hill, a 100meter high cliff face that is a stratified weathered rock surface in various shades of colors. The colors present nine horses. Coming close to the
Erlang Gorge a huge cliff comes into the view. That is the famous Picture Hill that resembles horses of different colors in different positions. Having passed the Picture Hill you come to Huangbu or
Yellow Cloth Beach, where the river is wide and flows gently, peaks become steep. You can see a huge yellow flagstone under the limpid water, it looks like a cloth piece and people called it
Yellow Cloth Shoal. Seven graceful green peaks are there too. Legend says that those peaks are fairy girls from the heaven who took bath in the river and enthralled by the charming scene they stayed there and became the peaks. Seven quiet girls standing shoulder to shoulder. Green peaks with verdant bamboo under the blue sky reflected on the quiet waters create a spectacular scene. Sometimes people are sure in seeing boats floating on the hilltops.
The fabled Xingping Wonderland begins here. Xingping is a famous ancient town of beautiful and poetic scenery. It has been reproduced in many Chinese landscape paintings.
500 years old castle complex on the river bank is worth seeing. Ordinary but elegant eaves, roofs with colorful paintings, lattice windows and unique timber structures present us the folk residence from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Some courtyard buildings seem to be weathered through ages. People call this castle complex a village now and they are sure that they are the descendents of the imperial family of Song Dyansty. Caishi Hill looms high in front of the town, with thick bamboo groves in the back. President Clinton paid a visit to this village during his trip along Li River.
The cruise is over at the colorful market town of Yangshuo. Enchanting fairyland of Yangshuo and its park to the west from the town are renowned as one of the best beautiful spots of Guilin.
You are welcome to Guilin and its suburbs!
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