Li River (漓江)
漓江一日游，消尽十年愁
Guilin (桂林）
Guilin (桂林）
日月双塔
Guilin (桂林) is one of China's most picturesque cities. It has a history of more than 2000 years.
The city is located in the northeast of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (广西壮族自治区), on the west bank of Li River (漓江).
Its name means "forest of sweet osmantus", owing to the large number of sweet osmantus trees grown in the city.
Yushan Park (虞山公园)
渊明山庄
Lipu (荔蒲)
有河就有山
有山就有洞
有洞就有石
Fantastic shapes of stalactites and stalagmites are formed in the cave.
Yangshuo (阳朔)
阳朔山水甲桂林
Yangshuo is a county in Guilin. It lies in the southeast of the city.
Surrounded by picturesque karst peaks and bordered on one side by the Li River, Yangshuo has the most beautiful karst scenery in the Guilin region.
West Street (西街), Yangshuo
Elephant Hill (象鼻山)
Fisherman and his trained cormorant on a bamboo raft
Cormorants have been tamed for fishing in Guangxi.
Cormorants dive to catch fish for fishermen.They will return to the bamboo rafts after they have caught a fish.
As their necks are tied with a string, they cannot swallow the fish. Then, the fishermen will remove the fish from their throats and reward the cormorants with a smaller fish.
The population in Guangxi is made up of the Han (汉), Zhuang (壮), Yao (瑶), Miao (苗) and Dong (侗).
The ancestors of the Zhuang were related to a branch of ancient Baiyue (百越) ethnic group who lived in South China. The Zhuang are the largest minority group in China. They have their own language.
Zhuang people are good at singing. Boys (阿哥) and girls (阿妹) sing for each other to express their love. Then the girls would toss an embroidered silk ball (绣球) that they make by themselves to the boys they are attracted to.
Hezhou (贺洲)
渊明山庄
Guilin and its surrounding areas are renowned for their karst topography. Deep erosion of the limestone formations has created numerous pinnacles. There are also spires of grotesque figures, caves with all types of stalactites and stalagmites and underground streams in the region.
Lipu (荔蒲)
有河就有山
有山就有洞
有洞就有石
Yinzi Cave, Lipu (荔蒲银子岩)
Fantastic shapes of stalactites and stalagmites are formed in the cave.
Yangshuo (阳朔)
桂林山水甲天下
阳朔山水甲桂林
Li River (漓江) as seen in Yangshuo (阳朔)
江作青罗带
山如碧玉簪
山如碧玉簪
－－－韩愈
Yangshuo is a county in Guilin. It lies in the southeast of the city.
Surrounded by picturesque karst peaks and bordered on one side by the Li River, Yangshuo has the most beautiful karst scenery in the Guilin region.
West Street (西街), one of the main streets in Yangshuo, is lined with western cafes, bars, Chinese tea houses, restaurants and shops.
Visitors take a stroll along West Street to experience a blend of Chinese and Western atmosphere in the town.
Cruising along Li River (漓江)
Li River (漓江) winds its way from Mt Miaoer (苗儿山), through Guilin and Yangshuo, to Xi River (西江).
The section of the river between Guilin and Yangshuo is the most beautiful part of Li River.
Spectacular karst landscape along the Li River has made the area the subject of paintings and poetry for many centuries.
Elephant Hill (象鼻山), located at the confluence of Li River and Yang River (阳江), is the symbol of Guilin.
It was so named because of its resemblance to an elephant sipping water from Li River with its trunk.
on a Bamboo Raft
Fisherman and his trained cormorant on a bamboo raft
Cormorants dive to catch fish for fishermen.They will return to the bamboo rafts after they have caught a fish.
As their necks are tied with a string, they cannot swallow the fish. Then, the fishermen will remove the fish from their throats and reward the cormorants with a smaller fish.
Zhuang (壮), Yao (瑶), Miao (苗) and Dong (侗) girls
The population in Guangxi is made up of the Han (汉), Zhuang (壮), Yao (瑶), Miao (苗) and Dong (侗).
The ancestors of the Zhuang were related to a branch of ancient Baiyue (百越) ethnic group who lived in South China. The Zhuang are the largest minority group in China. They have their own language.
Zhuang people are good at singing. Boys (阿哥) and girls (阿妹) sing for each other to express their love. Then the girls would toss an embroidered silk ball (绣球) that they make by themselves to the boys they are attracted to.
Zhuang girl (in ethnic costume) and her embroidered silk balls
Zhuang people also sing to express their dissatisfaction. Legend has it, that there was a Zhuang girl, named Liu Sanjie (刘三姐), who was admired by the local people for her courage to expose the cruelty of the landowner in her songs.
Hezhou (贺洲)
Gupo Hill
Xiangu Waterfall (仙姑瀑布)
Xiangu Temple (仙姑庙)
Seven-star Rock (七星岩)
Fang's Tea Farm (方家茶园)
Zhaoqing (肇庆)
The arrangement of the seven peaks resembles the pattern of the stars of the Great Bear Constellation.
Wuzhuo (梧州)
Wuzhou
Guangzhou (广州)
Kast topography is a barren limestone formation with abrupt ridges, caves, sinkholes and underground streams. They are shaped by the action of water.
Guangzhou (广州)
Beijing Road (北京路)
Kast topography is a barren limestone formation with abrupt ridges, caves, sinkholes and underground streams. They are shaped by the action of water.
Limestone dissolves relatively easily in slightly acidic water, which occurs widely in nature. Rain water seeps through cracks in limestone, dissolving some of the limestone.
Over the years, the cracks are gradually enlarged. Fantastic shapes are often formed.
As water flows along cracks underground, it continues to widen the cracks. Eventually, the enlarged cracks become caves or underground streams.
Over the years, the cracks are gradually enlarged. Fantastic shapes are often formed.
As water flows along cracks underground, it continues to widen the cracks. Eventually, the enlarged cracks become caves or underground streams.
After a cave has been formed, water continues to seep down from the surface and drips from the roof.
As each drop falls, it leaves a tiny deposit of dissolved limestone.The deposits gradually build down, and in time they are stalactites, hanging from the roof.
As each drop falls, it leaves a tiny deposit of dissolved limestone.The deposits gradually build down, and in time they are stalactites, hanging from the roof.
When a drop of water strikes the ground, it will also leave a tiny deposit of dissolved limestone. Over the years, these deposits build up stalagmites, rising from the ground of the cave.
If water drops from along a line, it may form a screen of stone.
Dripping water often contains dissolved minerals as well as acid. These minerals too will be deposited. They may give rich colouring to the deposit.
If a cave becomes large enough and the top extends close to the surface, the top collapses. This produces depressions called sinkholes.
