Atlas
Guilin Landscape
Karst peaks and the Li River make Guilin a classic Chinese ink-wash landscape.
Prefecture: Guilin
Province: GuangxiGuilin's rounded limestone peaks rise beside the tranquil Li River, where warm sky reflections meet bamboo-lined banks, village roofs and small cultivated terraces.
Natural Wonder4
- Li River Yangdi-Xingping Scenic Course
The quintessential Karst river journey featuring Nine Horses Fresco Hill and Yellow Cloth Shoal.
- Moon Hill
Iconic karst peak crowned with a natural moon-shaped rock arch that shifts phases from different viewpoints.
- Yangshuo Yulong River
The tranquil Little Li River with bamboo rafting drifting past karst spires and pastoral villages.
- Reed Flute Cave
A spectacular Karst limestone cave filled with stalactites and crystal columns, illuminated like an underground palace.
Vista1
- Elephant Trunk Hill
The iconic city emblem of Guilin resembling a giant elephant dipping its trunk into the Li River.
Architecture1
- Jingjiang Princes' Palace
Grand Ming Dynasty princely palace situated beneath Solitary Beauty Peak in central Guilin.
Sculpture1
- Solitary Beauty Peak Inscriptions
Historic cliff inscriptions and Song scholar cave on Solitary Beauty Peak, source of the famous proverb.
Qin1
- Lingqu Canal and Lingnan CommanderiesQin Dynasty (214 BCE)
In 214 BCE, the Lingqu Canal directed by Supervisor Lu linked the Xiang and Li rivers to supply Qin forces; Qin then established Guilin, Nanhai, and Xiang commanderies in Lingnan.
Tang1
- Han Yu Depicts Guilin in VerseTang Dynasty (822 CE)
In 822, Han Yu wrote a farewell poem for Yan Mo on his appointment to govern Gui Prefecture, depicting its river as a green silk belt and its mountains as jade hairpins.
Song2
- Wang Zhenggong Inscribes the Guilin Landscape1201 CE
In 1201, Wang Zhenggong composed the line praising Guilin's landscape, which was preserved in an inscription at Duxiu Peak.
- Wang Zhenggong's Guilin Poem Inscription1201 CE
In 1201, Wang Zhenggong composed his Guilin poem while hosting successful examination candidates; its lines were later carved at Solitary Beauty Peak.
Modern1
- Guilin Karst Inscribed on UNESCO List2014 CE
In 2014, the World Heritage Committee approved the Phase II extension that added Guilin's tower- and cone-karst landscapes to the South China Karst property.