Explore Guilin city and culture

Guilin is proud of not only its unique Karst landscape but also a long history. There are a number of historic sites left in Guilin city. For culture and history enthusiasts, to appreciate Guilin 's past splendid culture, the Ancient South Gate (also named Gu'nanmen) is one of the right spots. The south gate entrance to the city is a remnant of the old walled city of Guilin. Restored to its pristine condition, this ancient gate was constructed all the way back in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). There is a long tunnel hidden behind the gate itself which you can actually walk through to get an idea of what it was like to enter the city in ancient times.

Situated in the northeast of Guilin by the Li River, Folded Brocade Hill (Diecai Hill) is one of the most popular local attractions, a place known for its amazing scenery and stone carvings. It gained its name because of the resemblance of its rock formations, piled up layer upon layer on each other, to folded brocade. Many other special names have been given to this picturesque spot: the name Laurel Hill (Gui Hill), derived from the laurels that have spread across the slopes since ancient times, and the name of Wind Cave Hill, due to the remarkable wind cave on the hill. Four small hills, Yuyue Hill, All-Direction-Looking Hill (Siwang Hill), Crane Peak and Bright Moon Peak surround Folded Brocade Hill.

Fubo Hill is situated to the west of Li River and the north of Guilin. It is 63 meters high, 60 meters wide, and 213 meters above sea level. It is a solitary peak, standing elegantly half on land and half on water. As the water flows by the hill causes it to swirl, from which comes its name "Wave-Subduing" Hill. Fubo Hill 's unique shape and interesting sights make it a favorite of tourists. Near the river there is a rice pot big enough to cook for 1000 people at a time. The Southern part of the hill is a garden full of bamboo, palm trees and flowers.

One of the better known tourist destinations of Southern China, and indeed the whole of China, Guilin, which is a name that literally means Sweet Osmanthus, is a prefectural city that has a tourism sector driven by one of the best sights in the entire world, the Li River. With a very rich plant life that embodies far more than the dominant Sweet Osmanthus, Guilin is a region of Southern China which is sectioned off from main China by some naturally occurring boundaries, including the Nan Mountains, accounting for the logic behind its prefectural administrative status but this bodes very well for the tourism industry of the region. About a dozen small ethnic groups call Guilin home, which is part of the Guangxi autonomous region, with the Zhuang ethnic group dominating. Guilin is one of the three largest of the Guangxi region, coming in at number three, behind Nanning and Liuzhou.

Mulong Lake Scenic Area: It offers the reconciliation of recorded society into the nature. Toward the north of Mulong Lake, guests can discover a gathering of synthetic sights, for example, Dongzhen Gate and the site of the City Wall in Song Dynasty. A vast building complex is scattered around. The development incorporates Song Street, Half-side Street, Mulong Pagoda, Mulong at Night, and Ancient Song City. Mulong Pagoda was constructed by impersonating Longhua Pagoda in Song Dynasty in Shanghai. Moreover, there is a beautiful scene zone between the southern Mulong Lake and Diecai Hill where guests can appreciate timberland, grass, falls and streams.

The Sun and Moon Pagodas are twin pagodas located in Guilin, Guangxi, China. Originally built in the city moat of Guilin during the Tang dynasty, the pagodas were reconstructed in 2001 using historical records as the centerpiece of Riyue Shuangta Cultural Park— a park themed around the unity of Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. The Moon Pagoda was built on an island in Shan Lake while the Sun Pagoda was built out in the lake. The Sun Pagoda has an octagonal base, is faced with bronze, has nine stories, and is 41m (135 ft) tall. The Sun Pagoda is the tallest bronze pagoda in the world and is one of the few pagodas in the world that has an elevator. The Moon Pagoda has an octagonal base, is faced with glazed tile, has seven stories tall, and is 35m (115 ft) tall. They were featured as the ninth Pit Stop during the fourteenth season of The Amazing Race in 2009.

Xiaoyao Tower is between Jiefang Bridge and Fubo Mountain in the northern section of Binjiang Road in Guilin. Xiaoyao Tower was built in the fourth year of Tang Wude(621) by Lijing Xiaoyao Tower, the governor of Guizhou.It is the East Tower of the Guizhou City in the Tang Dynasty. The stone inscription "Xiaoyao Tower" written by Yan Zhenqing is placed on it, so it is called "Xiaoyao Tower". Xiaoyao Tower is now a new landmark in downtown Guilin. Xiaoyao Tower was damaged and built many times during the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, Qing, and was finally destroyed during the War of Resistance Against Japan. In January 2015, relevant departments of Guilin City started to rebuild the Xiaoyao Tower on Binjiang Road. The building is a two-story, three-eave pavilion landscape architecture, about 24 meters high, 22 meters long and wide, with a construction area of 630 square meters.