By XU JING

The Xiangbi (Elephant Trunk) Mountain.

Terraces in Guilin.

Bajiaozhai scenic area in Ziyuan County.

Yangshuo is a tourist hotspot.

Night scene of West Street in Yangshuo.

Fabulous Landscape

Guilin is a typical karst region. The Lijing River flows through the city and strangely shaped mountains rise up from its plains in their hundreds. The mountains are hollow, and laced with thousands of caves. In the 1970s, the few tourist sites in Guilin composed Diecai Mountain, Ludi Cave, the Lijiang River, and other similar sites. In the past three decades, however, the tourism sector has blossomed in Guilin, and five major tour themes have taken shape.

The sightseeing tour along the Lijiang River remains the highlight of Guilin tour. Each year, thousands of Chinese and foreign tourists marvel at Ludi, Yinzi and Fengyu limestone caves. Travelers are also fascinated with the traditional folklore tours to the habitats of the various local ethnic groups where they may enjoy their, foods, songs and dances. The heritage our along the Lingqu Canal and the Guihai Forest of Steles give tourists a complete impression of the city’s modern buildings and facilities and surrounding natural landscapes. Theme parks such as the China Merryland Resort and Yuzi Paradise Park have excellent recreational facilities

Guilin’s tourist departments have developed a large number of tour programs so that visitors can make the most of their trip to the city. They include the Longsheng Hot Springs, the Third Sister Liu Singing Festival, and the Xing’an Water Street. One of the most impressive is the huge outdoor song and dance performance of Impression Third Sister Liu. It takes place along a two-kilometer-long section of the Lijiang River with twelve mountains in the background. A massive lighting system with unique mist machines is used to create a dream-like effect for the performance. Some of Guilin’s districts and counties were merged in 1998, in order to combine their resources as part of the Great Guilin Tourism Belt.

Favorite among Artists and Literati

Many of Guilin’s historical sites date back to the Qin Dynasty (221-206BC), and record the city’s long road of development. The Baoji Mountain and the Zengpi Cave provide evidence of ancient civilizations in the area, and over 3,000 cliff engravings have been found along the Lijiang River. The Lingqu Canal is regarded as one of the three greatest water conservation projects in Chinese history, along with the Dujiangyan Weirs and the Zhangguo Canal. The Ming Dynasty prince Jingjiang mansion and his mausoleum are the best-preserved structure of their kind in China.

Meanwhile, innumerable Chinese literati from both ancient and contemporary times have traveled to Guilin to capture its beauty and culture in verse. Two poets that lived in Guilin during the Tang Dynasty (618-907), Cao Ye and Cao Tang, each had more than 100 of their poems included in the Complete Collection of Tang Poetry. And of the four great calligraphers of the Song Dynasty (960-1279), Su Dongpo, Huang Tingjian, Mi Fu and Cai Yue, three left their inscriptions in Guilin. Shi Tao, a native of Guilin, was the most famous landscape painter and creative theorist to emerge during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

Modernize the City to Add More Attractions

Guilin has been administered by a local overnment for 2,100 years, beginning in 111BC when the Western Han Dynasty Emperor Wudi set up Shi’an County in the city’s northern parts. In the 1960s, the Guilin’s infrastructure was improved, and the old city was renovated in the 1980s. Further improvements on the city’s image were made in 1998, and in the past six years, more than RMB 10 billion has been invested in broadening the roads, renovating or building bridges, planning and developing scenic spots and most importantly, carrying out the “Two Rivers and Four Lakes” Project. This large-scale project will link the rivers of Lijiang and Taohuajiang and the lakes of Shan, Rong, Mulong and Gui to form a round-the-city waterway. Its purpose is twofold: the city’s water will be improved, and tourists will be able to appreciate its sights by boat. When completed, this combination of scenic spots and city planning and construction will form Guilin’s sixth themed tour program.

In January 2003, during the Second Plenary Session of the Second Guilin Party Committee, a new development strategy of “Two Changes and Five Increases” was put forward in order to meet the diversified demands of different tourists. They encompass: Changing the tourist focus from quantity to quality; and changing simple sightseeing tours into package services that offer a wide range of activities; Increasing the cultural content of Guilin tours; Increasing tourists consumption and stays in the city; Increasing the proportion of tourism revenue in local GDP; Increasing the contribution rate of tourism to local fiscal income; and Increasing employment opportunities in tourism through its further development.

Meanwhile, people can enjoy a greater number of festivals in the city, including the Longsheng Red Clothes Festival, the Ziyuan River Lantern and Song Festival, the Yangshuo Fishing Festival, the Xiejie Rose Festival and the Gongcheng Peach Blossom Festival. Various international exhibitions and seminars have also been held in Guilin, and the city receives numerous foreign friends every day.

In 2003, four Chinese cities, including Beijing and Guilin were recommended to the World Tourism Organization as the best tourism destinations of China, and Guilin was the only medium-sized Chinese city chosen for its fantastic landscape and rich folklore. In 2004, it won still more titles, including the Most Attractive Chinese City, Most Tranquil City and National GardenCity.

Guilin’s Mayor Wang Yuefei says that running a city is akin to managing a large enterprise. In his 2005 government work report, the mayor mentioned four strategies for tourism development that should follow international practices, including integrating the main tourism enterprises’ resources, forming a comprehensive tourism product network, identifying tourism target consumer groups, and developing certain tourism products according to market demand.

It’s not just Guilin’s major scenic areas and tourist streets that are attractive – there is plenty on offer for those who wish to stray from the beaten track. The city’s small, winding alleys are beautifully decorated with flowers, stone chairs and body-building equipment, reflecting the local residents’ love of nature and life. The municipal government is in the process of revamping these alleys and old streets, and last year alone, 65 lanes were renovated, improving living conditions for some 80,000 residents. The city’s 300 streets and alleys will all be refurbished by 2006, and then tourists will be able to take part in the Guilin Street and Alley Tour.

As a tourist destination that’s second to none in China, the increased efforts of its government and warm hospitality of Guilin’s people Guilin is sure to attract even more visitors from home and abroad.