Guilin
Guilin, Yangshuo and Longji Rice Terraces.
Guilin is the China of our imagination. Strange mountains, beautiful countryside, the last cormorant fishermen, not to mention the tribal culture on the rice terraces of Longji.
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Why you'll love Guilin
- Few places in China offer so much variety in one single destination.
- Guilin is the perfect place to discover rural life in South China and a contrast to the big cities and history of Beijing, Xi'an, and Shanghai.
- Guilin is a paradise for photographers offering unique natural landscapes, colorful ethnic minorities, a city with strange karst peaks jetting out, to rural farming life in Yangshuo and the Rice Terraces of Longji.
- The beautiful karst mountain scenery along the Li River has been captured in Chinese poetry and art for thousands of years. Find out why!
Where is Guilin?
Guilin is in south-west China, on the northern part of Guangxi province, next to Guizhou province.
Pronounced
English speakers pronounce Guilin like we would say 'Ge'way-Lynn'. It means osmanthus forest in Chinese.
How to get to Guilin
Guilin is easily accessed by daily flights or high-speed trains. Most arrive at Guilin by flight, but we just had a direct cross-border bullet train from Hong Kong start.
by plane
Hong Kong 1hr
Beijing 3 hrs
Shanghai 2.5 hrs
by train
Guangzhou 3hrs
Shenzhen 2hrs
Guiyang 1 1/2hrs
Population of Guilin?
So, how many people do you think live in the Guilin area?
Click n Flip for the answer.
3 million
More than you thought right? Remember, this is just a 3rd level city in one of the poorer less known provinces of China.
Start Planning Your Trip to Guilin
Contact an expert in Guilin that will support you 1-1 from the initial chat, itinerary design, and even on the trip.
Top experiences in Guilin
Here are the top 3 things to do and things to experience in Guilin and Yangshuo...
Relax on the Li River by motor-raft or cruise
The Li River: Selected by National Geographic Magazine as one of the world's “Top 10 Watery Wonders”. Experienced by sunrise photography, a cruise, seated motor raft or a leisurely hike.
Explore Yangshuo by bike or on foot
Yangshuo's Countryside: Experience the beauty seen in photographs as you venture out between the rice paddies to experience rural China by foot, bike or even electric moped/scooter.
Hike the amazing rice terraces of Longji
Rice Terraces: Longsheng County offers you a chance to walk up and into the Lonji rice terraces. These beautiful vast terraces have been on the mountains for over 800 years.
Top things to see in Guilin
Here are our top things to see in Guilin, in fact, the whole Guilin, Yangshuo and Longji region.
Best time to visit
This depends if you define 'best time' as:
a) Comfortable Weather - avoid 30+ degree Celsius & 80-100% humidity
b) Beautiful Sunsets - The time with the most chance of a colorful sunsets
c) Water in the Rice Terraces- reflections in the fields
d) Golden Rice Terraces - crops green/yellow and ready for harvest
e) Least chance of 'Bad Weather' - rain, mist, fog, cloud, flat light
f) High Season - when everyone comes
Generally the 'Best time' to visit Guilin
The best time to visit Guilin is generally considered during mid-April until the end of June, and very late August until early November when the weather is not as hot. The most pleasant time is October.
Best time to photograph Guilin
The best time to photography Guilin is either:
-April to June
Springtime and early summer when everything comes alive; the rice terraces reflect the light and have water; the changing weather means a chance of amazing images of moody skies.
-August until the end of October
October when you can see golden rice terrace fields in Longji, while enjoying a sunny yet milder weather of October. Harvest is generally anytime from the 5th of October to the 20th, depending on the weather and other factors.
Read more > The Best Time to Visit Guilin
