Guilin, China - 2002

This was our second visit to China. The conference was being held in Shanghai. Our first visit was in 1990 when conference was held in Beijing. This time we decided to start with some sightseeing.

We reached Guilin from Hong Kong via  Guangzhou.  Guangzhou airport at that time was located right in the center of city. While the plane was landing I was afraid how the pilot will manage. But everything went alright. From International  flight we had to change to local airlines. As we walked across to local airport I saw a market full of fruit stalls. Later I came to know that Guangzhou is famous for fruits - The top four famous fruits of Guangzhou are banana, litchi, pineapples and orange.

Airport was very busy - announcements were very loud and continuous. They were filling up planes as they fill up buses at Delhi bus station. On the flight sleep was catching up . When I woke up I saw green fields all around. Very soon typical Guilin scenery of small hills appeared. This place was a big contrast from Guangzhou - there we landed in the middle of the city - here we landed in middle of green farms all around. Atmosphere was serene and our flight was the only plane landing at that time. On reaching we were met by our guide, a young lady who introduced herself as Ann, her English name. Later I found out her real name is Mu Bai meaning Envy white . This sounded like Mumbai As we were driving to our hotel , on the way she opened a notebook and started reading about Guilin’s history in a monotonous tone. We told her that we were not interested in this.

Guilin is a picturesque city in southern part of China known for its dramatic landscape of limestone karst hills. Karst topography is a landscape formed by the erosion of soluble rocks like limestone, marble, and gypsum. This scenery is of iconic limestone mountains and caves is truly unique in the world. 

Topography of the city is unique -

At its center are 2 lakes, Shanhu (Cedar) and Ronghu (Banyan), remaining from a medieval-era moat that once surrounded the city. Boats travel through these and other lakes via connected rivers. The boat journey takes you from Guillin to Yangshuo. On Shanhu Lake’s shore, twin pagodas, the Sun and Moon, light up the sky at night.

Popular sights include 120-hectare Seven Star Park, ( The park was so named because of the seven peaks (the four peaks of Putuo Mountain and three of Crescent Mountain) that makes it resemble the form of the Big Dipper constellation.

The important sights are -

Flower Bridge Flower Bridge, built in the Song Dynasty (960-1279), is the oldest bridge in Guilin. Every spring and summer, it is set off with blooming flowers and the streams, hence the name Flower Bridge. The larruping point of the bridge lies in tha, Putuo Mountain, Seven Stars Cave, Camel Hill, Crescent Mountain.

Other attractions are Reed Flute Cave,

The Reed Flute Cave, also known as "the Palace of Natural Arts," is a landmark and tourist attraction in Guilin, Guangxi, China. In the Reed Flute Cave, limestone formations are said to resemble animals The cave got its name from the type of reed growing outside, which can be made into flutes.

200-foot high Fubo Hill - The beautiful Fubo Hill, in the northeast of the Guilin city, is well known as the "Wonderland on Wave" with its exquisite peak rising high and its foot half in water and half on land. The east of the cave curbs the river stream, causing the formation of a deep pool, so the hill is named Fubo Hill

Elephant Trunk Hill right on the river has become a symbol of the town itself. It is situated on the west bank of the Li River. It got its name because it looks like an elephant drinking water. The round opening that would be under the elephant’s trunk is known as Water-Moon Cave because at night the reflection of the moon can be seen through the arch and it looks as if it is under the water and floating on the surface of the water at the same time. Elephant Trunk Hill and Water-Moon Cave are located at the confluence of the Taohua River and the Lijiang River.

Next morning we went by car to Bamboo Boarding port for Lee River cruise - separate ports for locals and foreigners. The scene at the port was very impressive  - 30 to 40 boats were lined up in rows. As they got filled up each boat departed one by one. As we progressed the classic scenery of Guilin appeared on both sides. Small hills covered up with greenery and Bamboo trees. Popular sights include 120-hectare Seven Star Park, Reed Flute Cave, 200-foot high Fubo Hill and the much-loved Elephant Trunk Hill. Elephant Trunk Hill is a landmark in Guilin since the Tang Dynasty, and considered by many to be a symbol of the city. It got its name because it’s said to resemble a giant elephant drinking water from the Li River. Towering more than 180 feet (55 meters) above the water, it’s one of the top attractions in Guilin. After 3 hours ride we reached Yangshuo. Here we walked through a market aptly  called ‘ Hello Market . This led to “Western street ‘ with Cafes and shops. From here we boarded a small electric car to reach parking area of our taxi. About 40 minutes drive brought us back to our hotel.

In the evening we walked along street near newly built Expo and exhibition ground.

On the Expo plaza I saw the biggest flower pots I have ever see. Ours in Mumbai look like babies. 

Next day in the morning we visited Desai hill Seven Star cave followed by our usual  lunch of every day. Rice and Ma Po Tofu.

In the evening we left for airport to go to Chongqing . Airport was full of tourists including some Japanese. Our flight was delayed - late arrival at Chongqing and we were directly went the port to board the ship. They were just waiting for us to arrive.