Guilin

Maintains a collection of 213 stone steles dating from the Tang Dynasty to the early 20th century.

One of the oldest botanical gardens in China.

A memorial park dedicated to the Flying Tigers, the nickname given to the First American Volunteer Group (AVG), a group of American pilots who joined the Republic of China Air Force in 1941 and carried out missions against the Japanese during the Second World War. The park is at the site of the former Yangtang Airport, which is one of the airports where the Flying Tigers were based. There is a museum in the middle of the park and you can also visit a cave where the Flying Tigers command post was located.

A large park with a small zoo area on the east side farthest from the entrance with the main attraction being the giant pandas and the red pandas, additional fee to enter the zoo of ¥32, the staff host a small show with monkeys, bear, tigers and lion at scheduled hours. Additional ¥60 fee to enter Seven Star Cave inside the park.

Park with a lake, temples and hundreds of Buddhist statues. In the park is also the Hidden Hill with a number of caves. Guilin Museum is also here, see separate listing.

300,000-m² area with tigers, bears, lions and other wild animals. Here you can witness research, breeding and entertainment. The place is a bit shabby and you will not see the animals in their natural environment, but you get close to the animals and can see them being much more active than in a zoo.

A park centered around the Zengpiyan Cave neolithic site where thousands of stone tools, pottery pieces and other artefacts have been unearthed since the site was discovered in 1965. The cave can be visited and there is a museum displaying some of the artefacts.

A park built around several peaks, which are climbed using stone staircases. There is also a small aviary and butterfly museum with examples of pinned and mounted butterflies and moths in the park.

Contains historical stone carvings from the Tang Dynasty and Buddhist inscriptions. The hill is an impressive sheer-sided rock.

Hill with a large natural arch cut into it. This resembles the trunk of an elephant dipping into the river. This scene is frequently used as a symbol of the city and so has developed some fame. There is a fun and cheaper alternative to get into the park, you can go all the way to the river on the street just at the right side of the west gate, you will find some people asking if you want a boat that they drop you in the park for half-price of the official ticket. It is pretty much impossible to get a good view of the natural arch without going on a boat tour as trees have been planted to prevent people from freeloading the view.

This is a river going through the western parts of town. Beautiful and relaxing area. As the name indicates, here you can see the peach blossoms in spring and the red leaves in autumn.

This limestone cave with impressive stalactite and stalagmite formations is worth a visit if you have not seen such caves before. An English-speaking guide will take you around the various artificially lit formations supposedly resembling lions, monkeys, old men, the skyline of Guilin, etc. There is also a brief laser/light/music show inside the cave. You may have to wait a while for a large enough group to accumulate. Avoid the hawkers by taking the elevated path on the side of the hill, rather than the tarmac road.

Rises dramatically above the center of Guilin and offers spectacular views of the city and surrounding countryside. As with so many peaks and rocky upthrusts in and around Guilin, centuries of visits have led to the creation of a carved stairway leading to the summit. The pathway starts at Wang Cheng, the Ming Dynasty palace in the center of town, now home to the campus of Guangxi Normal University and also the site of nightly performances by local ethnic minorities. Only the city walls and some of the foundation of the original buildings are left, the buildings themselves are all recent.

This is a large country park which encompasses the highest peak in the area. Foot paths run to the summit, however the chair lift provides an effortless way to attain the top and enjoy the scenery. There are extensive views of the surrounding area from the summit. There is a wheeled toboggan run down part of the mountain. To access this, dismount the chairlift at the station half way down the mountain. A taxi to and from the park will cost about ¥25 each way. If you plan to do this, alert the staff at the ground station so personnel at the midway station can help you get off. There is a Ming Dynasty Mausoleum nearby as well. The park is not listed on any of the tourist maps so you may get some looks on asking where it is.

A 3-km section of the cave is open to tourists. At the entrance of the cave, take the elevator and venture 30-m deep into the cave. After looking at the various stalactite and stalagmite formations, you can also visit the waterfall (¥5) inside the cave. After that, take the monorail to admire the largest and most beautiful section of the cave. To exit the cave, you can either travel back to the entrance point, or take a boat that will travel from the cave to the banks of the Li River.

Fengyu Cave has an entire length of 5.3 kilometers and a subterranean river of 3.3 kilometers. The underground river is inhabited by the Fengyu (blind red fish). As with most caves, there are lighting effects in the cave, as well as large stalactites and stalagmites.

Includes a waterfall with water coming from a springs.

Ancient town along the east bank of the Li River dating back more than 1,000 years, probably the nicest in the area. The town is beautifully located close to the Millstone Hill and the Snail Hill. The heart of town is the 2 km long Bluestone St with many well preserved buildings. The town has lots of attractions dating back hundreds of years including the Gauzu Temple, The Hanhuang Temple, the assembly halls, the Longevity Bridge and the Seven Stars Tombs. Take the local bus from the City Bus Terminal (close to the city Railway station). The entrance is on the backside of the Bus Terminal. Pay on the bus.

A large old town perhaps 6km behind the airport, with signs directing visitors to several houses, a small bridge, a school, and an ancestral temple, among other places. When the town was invaded by the Japanese in the 1940s, the villagers hid in an enormous cave in the mountain behind the town, protecting its entrances with ground chilli peppers. The mountain can be climbed, but the cave is locked. Visitors can follow a 50-100m-long secret passage dug between a defensive wall on the mountainside and the town itself. Access this near the Azalea Well above the town.

A relatively large old town with small city gates at many of its entrances. Signs with English direct you to the major old streets

The boats operate on a daily basis and reservations can be booked in advance or at any hotels in Guilin. Most tourists will go from Guilin to Yangshuo (a very picturesque smaller town downstream of Guilin). The river winds through some truly spectacular limestone formations and a slow boat trip there and back (with a stop in Yangshuo) will take a whole day. The cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo takes 3½-4 hours whilst the cruise from Guilin to Xingping takes approximately 3 hours. The 3-star boats travel from Guilin (Zhujiang Pier) to the pier at West Street (Longtoushan Pier), a few 4-star boats travel from Guilin (Zhujiang Pier) to the pier at West Street (Shuidongmen Pier) and the majority of 4-star boats to Xingping (as of 1 April 2018). Xingping is about 35 minutes away from Yangshuo. There are also 4-star cruises returning from Xingping to Zhujiang Pier in the afternoon, which take approximately 4½ hours.

A boat tour around the four lakes and two rivers of Guilin city. At night, the scenery is spectacularly flood lit. At the mid point in the tour, there will be a demonstration of traditional cormorant fishing. It is the best activity at night. Tours last about 90 minutes.

A theatrical dance and music performance daily. The show tries to recreate the culture of the various ethnic groups around Guilin.

A centrally located bike shop at city downtown with 24/27 speed mountain bikes for rent (¥45-100 a day). English speaking staff. Many one and multi-day cycling/hiking trips in and around Guilin.

White water rafting down the scenic river.

Set in beautiful scenery, this ethnic theme park tries to introduce visitors to the wide range of local nationalities and their cultures. A short boat trip will take you around the butterfly lake. On the way, various performances are staged on the shore of the lake, demonstrating different aspects of the culture. The boat will drop you off at the 'village' where you can see displays of local crafts including weaving, embroidery, buffalo horn carving and calligraphy. These crafts are produced on site and you may watch them working.

A pair of sheer sided mountains surrounded by a butterfly themed park. One of the mountains has a cave running through the core of it. Inside this cave are many strange rock formations including stalagmites and stalactites. One particularly unusual formation is shaped like a butterfly, lending the hill its name. A rope bridge connects from the cave's exit over to the other mountain. At the side of the bridge, a waterfall cascades down the mountain side. The path takes you around the summit of the second peak and down to the gardens below. A dance performance greets each tour party here. The final stage is a walk inside a netted area in which a large variety of butterflies may be observed.

Beautiful golf course with 27 holes. A bit on the expensive side but well worth the money.