Category Archives: Things to Do

All tips about Guilin Tours and Travel

The Reed Flute Cave is the largest and most impressive cave among Guilin’s caves

The Reed Flute Cave is located in the north-west of Guilin, about 5 kilometers from the city’s downtown area. The cave is famed for the odd-shaped Karst formations and became a tourist attraction to bring visitors into a kind of fairyland. The Cave is the largest and most impressive cave among Guilin’s caves, with its name originating from ancient times when reeds for making flutes and pipes were grown in the area; thus local people call it ‘Reed Flute Cave’.

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With a length of 240 meters, usually a trip to this cave will last about an hour. If you are interested in the Karst formations, it will take much longer for you to appreciate all of the uniquely shaped rocks and various-coloured stone pillars, given names like Mushroom Hill, Pines in the Snow, Sky-Scraping, Dragon Pagoda, Twin, Virgin Forests, and Red Curtain. Each of these rocks and pillars contain their own intruiging story. Moreover, there are also over 70 written ink inscription with histories of over 1200 years. These reveal that the cave has been an attraction since ancient times.
According to the geological research, the cave used to be an underground lake 600,000 years ago, and it gradually turned into the cave because of the rise of the mountain and decline of the water level. After the accumulation for millions of years, the spectacular scenery was formed.
As the largest and most impressive cave in Guilin, Reed Flute Cave is regarded as the Palace of Nature’s Art.Reed Flute Cave is famous for the marvelous spectacles formed by stalagmites, stalactites, stone columns, stone curtains and stone flowers. From the past to now, it attracts lots of famous people (including lots of presidents and officers) and all of them give high praise of the fantastic scenery. The cave is over 240 meters deep and 500 meters long. In the cave, under the function of different lighting facilities, those colorful and imposing stalactites, stalagmites, stone pillars, stone curtains and stone flowers look more beautiful.

Elephant Trunk Hill looks extraordinarily beautiful

Elephant Trunk Hill is called Xiàngbí Shān ( 象鼻山) in Chinese it is one of the main tourist attraction of the city. Its name derives from the circular cave (Water Moon Cave) going through the front of the mountain, making the Karst structure look like an elephant holding its trunk into the water.
A very popular destination, Elephant Trunk Hill (Xiangbi Shan) once appeared on Chinese currency bills. It is the symbol of Guilin, situated at the junction of Li River and Peach Blooming River in the center of Guilin city. It is a spectacular limestone karst hill, rising 55 meters over the river with naturally-shaped cave the bottom. It simply resembles an elephant dipping its snout into the river. At dusk, it looks extraordinarily beautiful. It is a masterpiece of karst landscape.


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The hill is in Elephant Trunk Hill Park. The trunk and body parts of the hill create a semi circle shaped gap called the Shuiyue Cave (Moon over the Water Cave). Water runs through the gap and at night creates a pretty image of a full moon with the reflection on the water which gives the cave its name and has been the inspiration for many Chinese stories and poems. There are important historical carvings and stone inscriptions in the cave which date back to the Tang dynasty (618-907) including a poem by Lu You, a great poet from ancient China.
The Puxian Pagoda on top of Elephant Trunk Hill was erected during the Ming Dynasty. It measures 14 meter in height and is shaped to represent the handle of a sword sticking out of the back of the Elephant after it has been killed. The Pagoda has two storeys, the second one with an inlay of the image of Bodhisattva Puxian (after which it is named). To get to the cave you have to take the stairs from the south-side of the mountain. From there it is also possible to continue the ascent to the top of the mountain where the Puxian Pagoda is located.
The most impressive feature of Elephant Trunk Hill is said to be the Shuiyue Cave (Moon over the Water Cave). It reflects of a round, moon like cave. The cave is between the elephant’s “trunk” and the “body”. On a moonlit night, the cave’s reflection looks like a full moon floating on the surface of the water. You will see an amazing sight of a moon in the sky, the moon in the hill and the moon on the water.

Statue of Nansha Aquatic Goddess in the Polo Birth parade.   Photo from LifeofGuangzhou.com

Polo Birth in Guangzhou

Taking part in local event or festival is a fool-proof way to grab fun in your vacation. Polo Birth is one of the best choices in your Guangzhou destination in the first half year.

Statue of Nansha Aquatic Goddess in the Polo Birth parade. Photo from LifeofGuangzhou.com

Polo Birth (波罗诞) is one of the most influential temple fairs in South China, and has more than a thousand years of history. The fair is held in February 11 – 13 at God of South China Sea Temple (南海神庙) in Huangpu, Guangzhou. Once a year worshippers flock to pray to the God of the South China Sea. It is said that in the Tang Dynasty an envoy from Polo, a small nation near India, came to Guangzhou. The envoy was so fascinated by the prosperity of the city that he missed his ship back home. After his death, Polo Temple was built in his honour. It marked the starting point of the “Maritime Silk Road” to the Indian Ocean in ancient China.

Tips: if you like to take part in local event or festival, do contact your guide or search as many information as possible in advance. There will be lots of people at that time, and you are likely to get lost by circling around without even find an entrance.

Source from Lifeofguangzhou.com

Guangzhou Cantonese Opera

Guangzhou Cantonese Opera

When you dip your toe in Guangzhou, Cantonese Opera would be one of the best activities for you to understand the stunning Cantonese culture.

Guangzhou Cantonese Opera

Cantonese Operatic Songs is the purely singing version of Cantonese Opera, without costume or acting. Its history can be traced back to the middle 19th century, when “Shiniang”(blind female singers) sang and played the accompaniment themselves in restaurants, streets or by private invitation. They sang in “Operatic Mandarin,” and several became famous. In the early 20th Century, “Nuling” (女伶, sighted female singers) dominated the stage instead of the blind singers. They reformed the performance by adding a band and singing in Cantonese. Soon male singers joined the performances, and such entertainment became a regular feature in restaurants across Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau.

Tips: You will be more than a little fascinated by the local operas / shows if you come to get some general knowledge or background of the story before during your tour in China.

Source from Lifeofguangzhou.com

T-shirt booth in the West Street.

Souvenir during Guilin Tour: T-shirt from West Street

One of the interesting tour souvenirs during the Guilin tour would be a T-shirt from the West Street.

There are many T-shirt shops or booths along the sides of West Street which have become one of the unique features in Yangshuo. Owner and artist will paint or write something on the blank T-shirts there and then according to your taste, like portraits or opinions.

T-shirt booth in the West Street.

Some opinions are very funny like “No beer, No happiness”, or the front says “I’m rich” and the back tells “Actually I’m lying”, or “Laowai’s coming” in the front, “ Laowai’s gone” in the back.

What would you like to show on your T-shirt?

Yangshuo Fishing Festival, photo from 0773web.com

A Must-See Tradition of Yangshuo: Night Fishing

It has long been a traditional way for fishermen to catch fish with fishing lanterns on the Li River at night in Yangshuo (a town near Guilin). Since 1999, this tradition has become the major part of a festival – Fishing Festival or Fishing Lantern Festival, which is hosted every November together with activities like fireworks, photographic contest, calligraphy contest, tug-of-war and so on.

The night fishing takes advantage of the natural habit of fish – they are easily be attracted by light at night. Fishermen hang lanterns on the ends of their bamboo crafts, draw the fish closer and closer, surround them with nets and let the trained cormorants dive into the water to catch them.

Yangshuo Night Fishing with Lanterns and Cormorants

Yangshuo Night Fishing with Lanterns and Cormorants

It’s really amazing when dozens of bamboo crafts are sailing on the water with lanterns lighting up the night, and cormorants flutter their wings and dive into the water chasing the fish, leaving a glimmering night with echoing sound.

Yangshuo Fishing Festival, photo from 0773web.com

If you arrive in Yangshuo, go and take part in this activity or festival, then you will be aware of that what you see are hundreds of times better than what I said here.

 

 

Take a relaxing cruise down the Yulong River

The Best Yangshuo Attractions

 

Yangshuo Cycling Tours amd Hiking Tours

The only way to experience Yangshuo

Very popular with visitors to Yangshuo, cycling tours is defintiely the preferred means of transport. Find out more about Yangshuo cycling and hiking tours here!

Impression Liu Sanjie Show

Article from

The large-scale performance The Impressional Sanjie Liu is the core project of The Li River Mountain-Water Theatre,it was invested by GuiLin Guangwei Wenhua Tourism and Culture Co.Ltd.,and took 5 years to completed.This performance expresses the beautiful scenery of the Li River,the colorful culture of the ethnic groups in Guangxi and the brave imagination of the excellent artists in China,it is the first of its kind the word.
The performance regards the lmpressional Sanjie Liu as the general theme,and creatively combines the ciassical Sanjie Liu’s Songs,ethnic groups’Culture and the fishing lights together,to refect the harmonious atmosphere between human beings and the nature.The pertormance lasts for 70 minutes and 600 plus actors and actress are invoIved.

Take a look yourself, right here!

Yulong River Bamboo Raft River Cruise

Take a relaxing cruise down the Yulong River

Article from sinoway travel

Yulong River, a small tribute of Li River, also called Little Li River, rises in Lingui County inYangshuo. The river is about 43 kilometers (26 miles) long, with a drainage area of approximately 158 square kilometers (39,043 acres). The part of the river that stretches from Yulong Bridge in Baisha Town, to Gongnong Bridge near Big Banyan, is known as the Yulong River Scenic Area, and includes some spectacular scenic views along each river bank.

The Yulong River Scenic Area has many tourist attractions interspersed with cultural and historical ones. The languid river is surrounded by a primitive, but pure, natural landscape, combined with green bamboo forests and rolling hills. Yulong River winds through rice planting fields, farm house, fishing bonds and thousands of limestone peaks. Most tourist traffic on this river is on small bamboo rafts. The going price for a trip on these rafts is about 150 Yuan per raft

Find out more!

Yangshuo Cooking School

Article from Yangshuo cooking school

The Yangshuo Cooking School offers you the opportunity to learn how to cook real Chinese food in a traditional setting.

We have two locations. Our Yangshuo school is right on the banks of the beautiful Li River with gorgeous views over the river and the karst scenery. Our original school is located in the village of Chao Long, about 5km from Yangshuo. Chao Long is a traditional farming village and the School is housed in a renovated mud brick farmers house.

The Yangshuo Cooking School is the combination of the talents of Pam Dimond, Leo Wu and Kelly Huang.

The week-long “Foodie” advanced cooking courses will take place at both locations.

Pam is passionate about food, travel and the fast disappearing traditional-peasant-architecture of Yangshuo. After many years running a successful catering business in Sydney, she felt the urge to travel in China. She now lives in a renovated mudbrick courtyard-house in Chaolong village, next to the cooking school.

Leo is the manager of both schools. He comes from Mangshi,Yunnan Province where the local Chinese food is influenced by Burmese cuisine. Very delicious and hot and spicy. He came to Yangshuo to study English and fell in love with Yangshuo and Kelly and decided to stay. He is an amusing and patient teacher with excellent English skills. Kelly is a partner in the school on the Li River and comes from Guangxi Province. Her grandfather was a famous local chef in He Chi City and Kelly studied under him from the age of 15. She is a wealth of information about local food and a fabulous cook. She also speaks excellent English

Want to know more about Yangshuo Cooking school? Find it here!

                                                                               Taiji School

Foreigners practicing Tai ChiArticle from Yangshuo Tai Chi School

 Yangshuo Tai Chi School is a traditional Tai Chi Kung fu Training Institute in China that welcomes all different levels of ability students to learn the traditional Chen Tai Chi Kung fu,Yang Tai Chi Kung fu from One week introductory to one year mastery courses, since 2001.You will be trained and taught by China one of the top Tai Chi masters,Huang Hua (Henry)is 12th Generation authentic Chen Tai Chi Master trained from the Chen Village and a top disciple of Master Wang xian for many years.

The First Registered of the Tai Chi and Kung fu Training Academy in Yangshuo, can be found in the picturesque village of Yangshuo China. Yangshuois a spectacular place, surrounded by stunning and unusually shaped Karst mountain formations. It is certainly one of the most beautiful places in China.

The school is situated in the tranquil countryside an easy bike ride from town. Once here you will find yourself amongst warm and knowledgeable staff, who are more than happy to help you with all your needs. No matter your skill level you can begin training at your own pace.

 

Master Huang teaching both Western and Chinese students with many years of experience. His mastery of the arts is only overshadowed by his enthusiasm in passing on his experience, and his unbeatable power through a lifetime of commitment. Tai Chi is taught with emphasis on Chinese philosophy, culture and the benefits of external and internal power on the body, mind and spirit.

The Tai Chi school, with its huge windows, takes in the view of the mountains and the gentle waters of the Yulong River, situated only minutes from it’s entry into the Li River. Enjoy being surrounded by nature whilst training at our school, found in a rural setting close to town. Here you will train in a large studio or outside by the Li River, feeling nature empowering you in every movement.


Guilin Foggy Resort

Guilin Foggy Resort

 

Guilin Foggy  Resort

 

 Guilin Foggy Resort is renovated to 4-star standard. Hanging feet structure building which has unique flavor of north Guangxi ethnic customs. It is an ideal place for getting close to the nature and idyllic scenery. The tourists stay in Guilin Foggy Resort can be arranged to hike around the villages which along Li River

Guilin Foggy Resort has 51 rooms, including standard room, business room, deluxe room, deluxe suite, president suite, non-smoking floor. Rooms are equipped with air-condition, TV, dresser, kettle for hot water, bathing room.

Guilin  Merryland Resort Hotel

5 Star Guilin Hotels

The Best Places to Stay when you visit Guilin

The Guilin Merryland

One of Guilin's best hotels

Article from sinohotel

The Guilin Merryland is a five-star hotel, a forest resort village, a golf course, and a theme park. The Merryland Resort Hotel (Lemandi dujia jiudian) houses three different styles of exquisite guestrooms. There are 368 guestrooms, 64 American-style huts, and 160 camping terraces

Check room rates here!

The Guilin Merryland is located 60km northeast of Guilin.

Distance from the airport(Km): 78

Distance from the railway station(Km): 68

The Green Lake Cafe serves European, American, and Southeast Asian cuisines. Guests may feast on a variety of Oriental and Western cuisine including Mongolian barbecue in the Supreme Emperor BBQ Restaurant. The hotel also has several bars and a cafe.

For recreation, there is a sauna center, tennis court, outdoor swimming pool, gymnasium, billiards room, and golf course. There are nine conference halls. Each can be partitioned into separate rooms for various functions. The magnificent ballroom, equipped with high fidelity video and audio systems, is a delightful place for large parties, banquets, exhibitions, and performances

Check room rates here!

Sheraton Guilin Hotel

                                                          A Guilin hotel with an outstanding brand name

Article from Starwood hotels

Visit the Sheraton Guilin Hotel, ideally located along the Li River in the heart of the enchanting city of Guilin. Guilin has been an inspiration to Chinese poets and artists for centuries, thanks to its breathtaking scenery rich in limestone crags, deep caves, and lush paddy fields. Now, with the completion of a full renovation, the hotel is as beautiful as the landscape it calls home. Our guest rooms, restaurant, and lobby have all been reimagined with your comfort in mind.

Check room rates here!

Retreat to one of our 408 newly renovated guest rooms, including our 17 suites. Relax and unwind while you watch your favorite shows on flat-screen satellite TV, order in dinner, or surf the web online with our High Speed Internet Access. And get a great night’s sleep on our famously comfortable Sheraton Sweet Sleeper™ Bed.

Whether you wish to explore the city, cruise the majestic Li River, or just hang out—let our concierge help you plan your adventures. Take a refreshing dip in the pool, get a great workout at the fitness center, or go for nine holes on the nearby golf course. Enjoy complimentary High Speed Internet Access at our lobby connection destination, the Link@Sheraton experienced with Microsoft.

Planning a business meeting or event? Invite your colleagues over, and let our convention services staff and AV support handle the details. We can tailor our space according to your requirements.

We look forward to welcoming you to the Sheraton Guilin Hotel!

Fu Cheng KTV Club

Guilin-Yangshuo Bar&Club Guide

 

The Best Guilin Bars to meet people and have a drink!!!

Piano Bar at the Guilin Royal Garden Hotel

The Piano Bar is part of the Royal Garden Hotel. It is located by the Li River opposite Fubo Mountain and Diecai Mountain, so the views through the large windows are spectacular. The atmosphere is very relaxed, so this is a great place to take a rest

Karaoke Bar in the Royal Garden Hotel

This Karaoke bar can hold over one hundred people with fifteen tables in a space of around 100 square metres. It is lavishly decorate with a stage and ornate balconies. It has a large range of drinks with a variety of wines also available.

Reed Cowboy Bar in Guilin Bravo Hotel

This bar is on the second floor of the hotel. It has its own unique character and style. Its walls are decorated with cattle heads, cow horns and knives. You can watch satellite TV from Hong Kong and American channels are also available. The bar covers about 80 square metres and is a good place to relax and enjoy a glass of wine.

Li Jiang Yin Zuo Luxury Boat

Li Jiang Yin Zuo is a luxury travel boat berthed on the No.2 Pier of the Li River. Its location on the west bank of Li river is a beautiful setting. The boat provides many facilities and can act as a club, bar and karaoke hall. It has three floors with an area of around 1000 square metres. The first floor is a dance Hall with the second floor being a Karaoke bar. Cabaret is on the third floor.

Baidu Bar

Baidu Bar combines Chinese and European club culture. It has karaoke/ KTV rooms as well as a bar and club. It was opened in 2004 and is located by the Li River side. It covers an area of over 3000 square metres. The first floor is a European influenced bar/ club with the KTV on the second second floor. Address: Binjiang Road

 

Fu Cheng KTV Club

Fu Cheng KTV Club is. This club is located at the main square. It has classical decor and has a great sound system. There are 51 KTV rooms ranging from a standard, medium, large or luxury room to the VIP presidential area. This club is a very popular place to hold parties

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The Best Yangshuo Bars and Clubs

The Nightlife of Yangshuo

Yangshuo Buffalo Bar

The owner of buffalo bar is a friendly Aussie named Alf. There is a range of beer on offer including beer imported from his native land. It’s a popular place to play pool and the wide-screen makes it ideal for watching sport. It also serves Chinese and western food, including meat pies of course! Address: Xianqianjie Road, just off West Street.

The Alley Bar

This bar is nicely decorated with a circular bar and an open frontage. It has fast become popular with ex-pats and tourists alike. It serves a variety of beer and cocktails and has a good pool table. This is one of the biggest bars in Yangshuo and can be a refreshing change from the smaller bars that line West Street. Address: Guihua Road, which runs parallel to West Street.

MC Blue

A well known bar that is usually busy most nights. It is very popular with foreign tourists. The open frontage and laid-back atmosphere make it an ideal place to head to later into the night. It also serves very good Western breakfasts. Address: Xianqianjie Road, just off West Street.

Loove Bar

Known for its friendly service, the bar has continental decor and a very relaxed atmosphere. The menu isn’t large, but the quality of food is very good as is the music. The ‘Loove Burger’ is recommended. It will often open far into the night and is a centre for nightlife in the town. Address: Guihua Road, which runs parallel to West Street

The Stone Rose

Named after the famous British band, this bar/ club is usually busy. It plays a mixture of Chinese and Western dance music. There are many similar dance bars along West Street, but this is the best of them for music and atmosphere. Address: West Stree

Si Hai

Similar to the Stone Rose in size, it usually plays Chinese dance music and always seems to attract a mixture of Chinese and foreign tourists. A variety of DJs play here on different nights in the busy tourist season. It is conveniently located near MC Blue and Buffalo Bar. Address: West Street.

Find out more about Yangshuo! Click here

article from Guilin, Yangshuo guide

Yangshuo West Street

West Street in Yangshuo

 

West Street is the oldest street in Yangshuo with a history of more than 1,400 years. Situated at the center of Yangshuo County, West Street has become, since the 1980′s, a window of eastern and western culture and the biggest ‘foreign language center’ in China. West Street is the most prosperous district in Yangshuo, and, each year, approximately 100,000 foreigners come here on their travels or to attend advanced studies. Visitors are attracted to West Street by its unique mix of cultures.

West Street is 517 meters (1,696 feet) long and 8 meters (26 feet) wide, meandering in an ‘S’ along its length. Being completely paved with marble it is a typical example of a southern China street. It is greatly admired by foreigners for its simple style and courtyard-like setting. There is a saying about West Street that ‘half is village while the other half is stores’.

Because, at times, foreigners outnumber Chinese, West Street is also called ‘foreigners’ street’. Don’t be surprised if you hear English words spoken by elderly Chinese women, for West Street is called ‘the global village’. Besides the local accent of Yangshuo, English has become the language for daily use. West Street is modern and fashionable, nearly every store has bilingual shop signs, and more than 20 stores have been opened by foreigners who have settled here.

Read more about West Street including how to get there and what you will have to pay.

Article by travel China Guide

Yangshuo West Street Shopping

Guilin Shopping: The What and Where to buy Guide

 

Article from China Highlights

Guilin is a relatively small city, and many of the shopping places are located along Zhongshan Road (中山路), a major road and city center of Guilin. Besides some big departments, there are also some interesting small markets and pedestrian streets. As a city famous for its beautiful landscape, Guilin is famous for landscape paintings, paper fans and some other art crafts and souvenirs.

Local Specialties

Guilin’s three treasures are Guilin Sanhua Liquor, Guilin Fermented Bean Curd and Guilin Chili Sauce. They are one of the top choices to buy when you visit Guilin. Because the name of Guilin literally means ‘Forest of Osmanthus’, there are many products made of or from the fragrant osmanthus (桂花, pronounced as /gway-hwua/), such as osmanthus tea and osmanthus sugar.

Luo Han Guo (罗汉果, pronounced as /lwo-han-kwo/ ), is a kind of dried brown fruit with round shape, hard but thin shell, and the size of a small orange. It is has long been used as a natural sweetener in China due to its flavor and lack of food energy. It has also been used in traditional Chinese medicine. Its inside soft substance is often used to make tea, which can relieve sore throat and chronic coughing. All the local specialties can be found in large supermarkets or local specialties stores.

Where to Buy

Clothes & shoes

Guilin Department Store, Dream Island Department Store and Sino-Japanese joint venture Niko Niko Do are the up-market department stores of the city. They all locate along Zhongshan Road from south to north. They offer clothes, shoes and bags with good quality. The three department stores all have food supermarkets on their underground floors. At Niko Niko Do, there is a small section selling imported foods, candies, chocolates, cheese and so on. Zhengyang Pedestrian Street next to city central square has some small boutiques selling ethnic crafts and clothes, and there are some restaurants with local Guilin food.

Bagui Building standing opposite city central square is very popular among local girls. It offers clothes and bags that are considered fashion by the local girls and are at reasonable prices. There is also an underground market called “Little Hong Kong” under the city central square. The underground market is a maze of alleys with lots of stalls selling not very good-quality clothes, bags, shoes and trinkets at low prices. Always remember to bargain unless when you are shopping at department stores.