Guilin travel guide
Guilin lies in northeast Guangxi, famed since antiquity as “the finest scenery under heaven” at the southern end of the Xiangxi Corridor. Before even arriving, Guilin's sublime beauty beckons - a place for rejuvenating the soul through its karst mountains, vibrant culture, and relaxed pace of life.
Guilin boasts stunning landscapes showcasing the Li River and karst formations. Peaks sprout from the earth in endless variety. The Li River winds like a jade belt studded with mirrors. Caverns hide fantastical worlds of stone. Guilin typifies China's most iconic natural wonders. As the old saying goes, "The mountains surround the city, and the city embraces the mountains." Guilin interweaves urban life with wilderness.
Experience minority customs of the Zhuang, Yao, Miao, and Dong peoples. From Chinese leaders to worldwide visitors, Guilin's nature, heritage, and culture captivate all who venture here. A leading global destination, Guilin delights independent travelers.
Top sights include Shizi Mountain, Elephant Trunk Hill, bamboo rafting on the Li River through picturesque countryside to Yangshuo County with its dramatic karsts and charming West Street. Longsheng's magnificent Dragon's Backbone rice terraces cascade down mountainsides, hailed as the "Crown of the World's Rice Terraces."
Consumption level
Outside of major Chinese holidays and peak seasons, two people can comfortably tour Guilin for 5 days on a budget of around 2000RMB. The biggest expenses are transportation, accommodations, and admission tickets.
To maximize your budget, opt for affordable hotels conveniently located near top attractions like Reed Flute Cave and Elephant Trunk Hill. Use public buses and taxis to get around for just a few RMB per ride. Enjoy inexpensive local cuisine like Guilin rice noodles, beer fish, and steamed osmanthus cakes.
By choosing budget hotels, getting around via public transit, and sampling modestly-priced food, travelers can immerse themselves in Guilin's iconic scenery without overspending. Focus your time and money on a couple highlights each day. With good planning, you can experience Guilin's natural beauty for around 300-400RMB per person per day, keeping total costs around 2000RMB for two.
Bank card
Outside of major Chinese holidays and peak seasons, two people can comfortably tour Guilin for 5 days on a budget of around 2000RMB. The biggest expenses are transportation, accommodations, and admission tickets.
To maximize your budget, opt for affordable hotels conveniently located near top attractions like Reed Flute Cave and Elephant Trunk Hill. Use public buses and taxis to get around for just a few RMB per ride. Enjoy inexpensive local cuisine like Guilin rice noodles, beer fish, and steamed osmanthus cakes.
By choosing budget hotels, getting around via public transit, and sampling modestly-priced food, travelers can immerse themselves in Guilin's iconic scenery without overspending. Focus your time and money on a couple highlights each day. With good planning, you can experience Guilin's natural beauty for around 300-400RMB per person per day, keeping total costs around 2000RMB for two.
Guilin Landscape Tourism Festival
Guilin Tourism Festival
The beautiful city of Guilin highlights its stunning scenery and rich culture through the annual Guilin Tourism Festival held from October to December.
Colorful gala evenings showcase Guilin's charms through dance, music, and performance. New sightseeing routes are promoted, featuring the area's idyllic landscapes, ethnic customs, and historic sites. Various cultural, artistic, and recreational activities take place around the city.
Expos, fairs, and trade shows offer opportunities for local businesses to connect with tourists. Visitors can shop for local products and appreciate Guilin's arts, cuisine, and hospitality.
By participating in the diverse festivities and tours, travelers can fully experience Guilin's natural wonder and cultural vibrancy. The festival provides an ideal time to explore this top destination in Guangxi.
Location: Guilin, Guangxi
Time: October - December annually
Dong Ethnic Fireworks Festival
Dong Flower Cannon Festival in Guilin
The Dong ethnic minority in Guilin has a colorful tradition of celebrating their Flower Cannon Festival at different times throughout the year. It is a joyous occasion filled with music, dancing and laughter.
On festival day, the Dong people light flower cannons - handmade bamboo tubes packed with gunpowder that explode with a bang. The first blast signifies prosperity, the second brings wishes for wealth, and the third represents a bountiful harvest.
After the lively firecracker displays, Dong youth gather to play melodic lusheng flutes and dance around bonfires. Some sing traditional Dong opera while others engage in cheerful antiphonal singing. The festival night atmosphere is full of smiles and merriment.
Tourists can experience the Dong's customs by attending a Flower Cannon Festival in places like Sanjiang Dong Autonomous County, Meilin, Fulu or Linxi. The dates vary from the 1st to the 10th lunar month. Immersing in an ethnic minority tradition is a cultural highlight.
Location: Dong villages in Guilin, Guangxi
Time: 1st to 10th lunar month depending on location
Zhuang Song Festival
Zhuang Song Festival in Guilin
The Zhuang Song Festival on the 3rd day of the 3rd lunar month holds great significance for the Zhuang people in Guilin. Also called the "Song Fair" or "Song Mother Festival", it is a vibrant showcase of Zhuang musical traditions.
Festivities span day and night. Daytime songs are sung outdoors with young Zhuang men and women flirtatiously matching lyrics to find love matches. At night, historical and seasonal folk songs are performed in villages, with lead singers and choruses.
Visitors can immerse in the melodious music as Zhuang singers croon about customs, daily life and legends. Watching colorful cultural troupes and joining hand-in-hand circle dances are festival highlights. Tourists gain an insider's experience of this ethnic minority's heritage.
The songs echo Guilin's natural beauty, adding cultural depth to the city's scenic landscape. Attending the Zhuang Song Festival offers a harmonious bridge between man and nature through traditional music.
Location: Zhuang villages in Guilin, Guangxi
Time: 3rd day of the 3rd lunar month
Yao Longsheng Red Clothes Festival
Longsheng Red Yao Festival in Guilin
The Red Yao ethnic group in Longsheng County, Guilin has an enchanting tradition called the Red Yao Festival. On one night each year, the rice terraces on Longji Mountain come alive with dots of torchlight as the Red Yao hold their celebrations.
On the 15th day of the 3rd lunar month or 8th day of the 4th lunar month, women don their distinctive red embroidered costumes and red turbans. They sing and dance together through the night amid the glowing fires and moonlight.
Visitors can immerse in the festive atmosphere as the mountainside flickers with the moving flames. The winding rice terraces form a stunning backdrop for the Red Yao's performance of their cultural heritage.
Attending the lively Red Yao Festival offers a window into the minority group's customs and close ties with nature. The vivid night spectacle highlights Longsheng's breathtaking landscapes.
Location: Longji Rice Terraces, Longsheng County, Guilin
Time: 15th day of 3rd lunar month or 8th day of 4th lunar month
Zhuang People's Ox Soul Festival
Ox Soul Festival in Guilin
The Ox Soul Festival, also called the Unyoking Festival, is celebrated in Zhuang villages around Longsheng, Guilin. On the 8th day of the 4th lunar month, the ox guardian spirit's birthday is honored.
Oxen are unyoked from their plows and washed. They are led to graze freely in verdant pastures by streams. Cow sheds are cleaned and lined with fresh straw. The oxen rest and feast on black glutinous rice.
No labor or whipping is allowed on Ox Soul Festival day. The Zhuang people sing to the oxen and pamper them to show love and gratitude. Pigs are slaughtered for worship rituals and temple feasts.
Through commemorating oxen, the Zhuang express wishes for abundant harvests. Tourists can glimpse beautiful rural traditions by participating in Longsheng's festivities. They will find a warm Culture celebrating the oxen who have tilled the fertile rice terraces for generations.
Location: Zhuang villages in Longsheng County, Guilin
Time: 8th day of the 4th lunar month
The authentic cuisine of Guilin beer fish
For the quintessential Li River culinary experience, sink your teeth into Guilin's famous beer fish. This local specialty features freshwater fish simmered in a mouthwatering broth of beer, garlic, and chili. The authentic version keeps the scales on to seal in moisture and flavor. When cooked right, the scales fry up gloriously crispy and golden. Take your first crunch through that delicate crackle into tender fish flesh swimming in the savory sauce. The contrast of textures and medley of sweet, bitter, and spicy activate the senses. To enjoy like a local, roll up your sleeves, grab some toothpicks, and pick the succulent meat straight off the bones. Close your eyes, soak in the lively atmosphere, and relish the interplay of crunch and richness that defines this Guilin classic. For a unique taste of both culture and cuisine, beer fish scales new heights in authentic local immersion.
Overlooking the crystal clear glass bridge under the sunset
As the sun sinks over Guilin, make your way to Yang Bridge for a striking sunset vista. Gaze out at shimmering waterways bathed in golden light. Watch as tour boats glide peacefully by, their reflections rippling across the Li River's glassy surface. Let your eyes follow the elegant arc of the glass suspension bridge in the distance, its transparent panes glowing in the warm hues. With towering karst peaks silhouetted behind, this engineering marvel sparkles like a crystal prism suspended in air. Breathe in the tranquility of dusk settling over water and stone. Take in the tapestry of colors and textures as the mountains transition from emerald to violet. This harmonious scene, peaceful yet vibrant, captures Guilin's natural splendor in all its glory. As the sky darkens, cherish this quiet moment looking out over the radiant landscape from Yang Bridge at sunset.
Searching for Sunset and Childhood under Yushan Bridge
As the sun dips behind Guilin's karst peaks, make your way under Yushan Bridge for a magical sunset scene. Watch the mountains reflect in shimmering doubles over the still river waters. Lose yourself in the interplay of light dancing across ripples. Revel in the transition from azure days to rosy dusk across this painterly landscape. For added local flair, you may spot buffalo wading through the shallows, children splashing and laughing, or fishermen silhouetted on their bamboo rafts. Linger on the banks to admire the mountains flush with color from base to summit. Capture photos bathed in the golden glow of fading light. Let this vivid waterside vista at day's end immerse you in Guilin's idyllic confluence of nature, culture, and community. Yushan Bridge offers an unforgettable vantage point to enjoy the show as another day ends over the Li River.
Best Travel Time
The best season for traveling to Guilin is from April to October each year. In late May, when the rainy season enters, the water level of the Lijiang River will rise, with rapid and turbid water flow, which is not conducive to looking at reflections. However, at this time, the temperature is not high, and it is cooler when it rains. It can also taste the misty dream of the Lijiang River; 7. The rainy season ends in August, and the river is clear, but the temperature is high at this time. It is also the golden season for tourism, with more tourists. Therefore, if you are afraid of the heat, it is recommended to go in May or September. The golden weeks of May Day and November are also peak periods for tourism, with tight accommodation and transportation, and prices may increase compared to usual. It is recommended to avoid this time. Choose a off-season trip and savor the beauty of the world.Medical treatment
Here are some important emergency numbers for Nanning, China to include on an English travel website:Emergency Numbers in NanningIf you need to reach the mayor's hotline during your stay in Nanning, dial 12345.For medical emergencies requiring an ambulance, call 120.To reach the Public Emergency Response Center, dial 110 for police assistance.If you need to file a tourism complaint, contact 5516551. For consumer protection assistance, call the Consumer Association at 12315.To lookup postal codes, dial 184.For general inquiry services, dial 114.To get weather forecasts, call 121.Keep these key emergency numbers handy during your trip to Nanning. Police, medical, and other vital services are just a quick phone call away. Knowing what numbers to dial will help ensure your safety and access to assistance while traveling in Nanning.Safety considerations
When at crowded places like train stations, bus terminals, and metro stations, keep a close eye on your belongings to prevent theft. Areas with high tourist traffic like Tiananmen Square also attract scammers, so tourists should be wary of unlicensed guides demanding money upfront. Avoid handing over any cash to solicitations on the street. Use registered taxi companies like the red Beijing taxis whenever possible. Keep valuables secured and hidden, avoid carrying large amounts of cash, and be alert in public transportation hubs and tourist sites. When needing assistance, go to authorized help points like the Beijing Tourist Information booths rather than individuals roaming the streets. Beijing is a generally safe city if simple precautions are taken. Report any incidents or suspicious activities immediately to the nearest police officer. They can also provide directions and other help. Enjoy sightseeing, but remain aware of the surroundings.
