Li River

The Li River cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo

is the centerpiece of any trip to northeast-
ern Guangxi Province. Gorgeous Karst
peaks give you surprises at each bend of
the limpid river under the blue sky. Water
buffalo patrol the felds, peasants reap rice
paddies, school kids and fsherman foat
by on bamboo rafts. With its breathtaking
scenery and taste of a life far removed from
the concrete metropolis, the scenery along
the river become one of China`s top tourist
destinations.
The trip starts from the dock south of Lib-
eration Bridge in Guilin downtown area.
Otherwise some agencies will transport
tourists to take a one-hour bus ride to the
Bamboo River Dock (Zhujiang Dock) or the
Millstone Hill Dock to start the cruise from
its essential part. The river trip is over 83
kilometers (52 miles) long and is estimated
to take four to fve hours. The eye-feasting
landscape and country scenery will never
disappoint you.
Ride Terrace
The Longsheng Rice Terraces are located in
Longsheng County, about 100 km (2 hours
drive) from Guilin, Guangxi, China.
The terraced felds are built along the slope
winding from the riverside up to the moun-
tain top, the highest part being 880 m in
elevation while the lowest part is 380 m. The
coiling line that starts from the mountain foot
up to the mountain top divides the mountain
into layers of water glittering in the sun in
spring, layers of green rice shoots in sum-
mer, layers of golden rice in fall, and layers
of silvery frost in winter.
Longji Terraced Rice Fields received their
name because the rice terraces resemble
a dragon`s scales, while the summit of the
mountain range looks like the backbone of
the dragon. Visitors standing on the top of
the mountain can see the dragon`s back-
bone twisting off into the distance. In an
early morning, when the weather is fne, the
sunrise on the summit of Longji Rice Terrac-
es is magnifcent.
Guilin Noodle
The noodles of Guilin are renowned
throughout China and can be found in
places such as Shanghai and Hong Kong.
Of course for the most authentic Guilin
rice noodles, visitors must eat them in their
hometown, Guilin. Guilin Rice Noodles were
frst invented in Qin Dynasty, so it has a de-
velopmental history of 2000 years.
In Guilin`s rice noodle shops, you may many
some fashionable young ladies and hand-
some young guys who wear business suits.
Although there are no seats, they still stand
to eat rice noodles in spite of their inele-
gance. Visitors may understand Guilin rice
noodles` special charm!
Guilin rice noodles are made from oil and
rice fower. The rice noodles are cooked in
broth and served in a bowl of soup made
from pork, beef, garlic, peanuts, peppers,
and radishes, etc. The peppers are added
by the diners, so visitors who do not like
spicy food can simply not add it.
Reed Flute Cave
With its location fve kilometers northwest
of the downtown of Guilin, the Reed Flute
Cave is a brilliant cave marked on almost
all travel itineraries. The cave got its name
from the verdant reeds growing outside it,
with which people make futes. Inside this
water-eroded cave is a spectacular world
of various stalactites, stone pillars and rock
formations created by carbonate deposition.
Illuminated by colored lighting, the fantastic
spectacle is found in many variations along
this 240-meter-long cave. Walking through
the serried stone pillars, tourists feast their
eyes on changing spots, feeling they are in
a paradise where the Gods live.
Tourists enter the cave and then take a
U-shaped sight-seeing route to see different
spots, whereupon they exit it from another
cave quite near the entrance one. One trip
lasts about one hour. A park is built for the
cave with zigzag path, elegant pavilions,
ponds, bridges, plants and other garden
structures.
Reed Flute Cave
By Chris James
GUILIN
East or west,
Guilin landscape is best.
Tourist Info Service Center
Address: 14 North Ronghu
Road, Diecai District, Guilin,
Guangxi, P.R.China
(86)773 280 0318
Ofce Hours: 8:30-
22:00(GMT+0800)
Tel: (86)773 280 0318
Fax: (86)773 282 7491
http://www.guilintourist.com
Color%pale)e
Complementary,armony
Times New Roman
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
123456789

Helvetica!
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ!
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz!
123456789