August 13, 2015 TnH Global 0

Guilin: a historical and wonderful city in Guangxi

Guangxi province has many popular tourist destinations. Guilin, a popular destination in Guangxi, is well-known for its natural scenery and historical heritage.

China’s geography, history and culture have always lured me. I always have been passionate to visit the country. Finally I was there in China recently to attend the first China-ASEAN Expo Tourism Exhibition held in Guilin in Guangxi province. My first stop in the country was Kunming. I landed at the Kunming Airport in the morning. Outside the airport, a very peasant weather and cool breeze welcomed me in China. Kunming is the capital of Yunnan Province of China. Because of its pleasant weather, the city is also called the Spring City.

Since I had to fly to Guilin in the evening, I had a brief stopover in the city, but I enjoyed my time in the city, visiting some key attractions. Important among them was Yunnan Nationalities Village. Right at the outset, this ethnic village site gave me a peek into the ethnic and cultural diversity of Yunnan. I was quite impressed by the cultural diversity at the village. The village gives insights into the life and culture of different nationalities. It’s a must visit place in Kunming.

From Kunming, I arrived in Guilin, which is one of the most popular tourist destinations in China. Guilin is a historical and beautiful city in Guangxi province of China. Located on the west bank of the Li River, Guilin has many historical, cultural and natural attractions for tourists. Some of them are: Reed Flute Cave, Jingjiang Princes City, Li River, Yangshuo, Elephant Trunk Hill, Silver Cave, Seven-Star Cave and Seven Star Park. There are many more attractive destinations in Guilin. As per one popular Chinese saying, ‘Guilin’s scenery is best among all under heaven.’

In Guilin, I saw the historical Reed Flute Cave. Made of natural limestone, the cave is quite an intriguing place to see. It is well-preserved and maintained tourist site. The cave attracts a large number of tourists every day, and it is so popular that every tourist who visits Guilin goes to see the cave. The cave houses variety of nature made spectacular pillars, rocks, etc. Multicolor lighting inside the cave makes it more fantastic.

After the Reed Flute Cave, I visited Jingjiang Princes City, also known as Jingjiang Princes Palace, which is a glorious historical site and is one of the oldest Chinese prince cities. Located in the center of Guilin city, Jingjiang Princes City was a royal complex in ancient times. It is historically famous for being the imperial examination hall in the Qing Dynasty, where Chinese students used to appear in the imperial examination, and selected students were appointed in court. Now Jingjiang Princes City is the campus of Guangxi Normal University, and also functions as tourist attraction.

The best experience in Guilin was my cruise trip in the Li River. I traveled from Guilin to Yangshuo by a luxury cruise boat. Yangshuo is located in the northeast of Guangxi. Picturesque landscapes of the green mountains on either side of the river were so stunning! The onboard facilities were also excellent. The boat reached Yangshuo in about 4 hours. After a wonderful cruising experience, I enjoyed colorful musicalcultural show: Impression Sanjie Liu show in Yangshuo. The show was amazing. It takes place every night in the Li River in Yangshuo. Impression Liu Sanjie show is performed on rafts in the river. A large number of local people perform in the show. Colors, lighting, music, costumes, etc are perfectly combined to produce such a spectacular performance. The Li River and surrounding hills give it a perfect setting. The show is a must see event for tourists in Yangshuo.

The Detian Waterfall is another beautiful attraction that I visited in Guangxi. The waterfall is located at Shuolong Town in Daxin County bordering Vietnam, in southern China. From Nanning it took around 5 hours by bus to reach there. I boarded a bamboo raft to see the waterfall closely. The waterfall was stunningly beautiful. The site was so picturesque and pleasant.

I must say that I had a great experience during my trip in China. I fully enjoyed the trip. China as a destination is amazing. Every province and region of China has a plethora of tourist attractions. Infrastructure is not an issue in China. People are very friendly and hospitable. Security and safety is not a concern. Guangxi province has excellent infrastructure such roads, hotels, etc. Tourist attractions are very clean, well-managed and maintained. Nanning is the capital of Guangxi, also known as ‘Green City’ because of its rich lush tropical foliage. The city has many beautiful tourist attractions. There is a plethora of food options for tourists for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians in Guangxi.

Guilin hosts the first China- ASEAN Expo Tourism Exhibition

The first China-ASEAN Expo Tourism Exhibition was held on May 29-31, 2015 in Guilin. The trade fair was organized to promote cooperation in tourism sector between China and ASEAN countries. The exhibition was well-organized and saw huge participation. A large number of exhibitors from China and ASEAN countries participated in the show.

The event will be held annually and Guilin will be the permanent host city of the annul tourism exhibition. This year the theme of the fair was ‘Tourism Cooperation and Development of the 21st Maritime Silk Road’. China National Tourism Administration, the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Government, Guangxi Tourism Administration, CAEXPO Secretariat and Guilin Municipal government , all came together to successfully organize the event. The trade show is expected to boost tourism in Guangxi province and Guilin city.