Things to Do in Guilin, China

Quick facts: The lights illuminate thousands of years of stalactites, making it feel like stepping into a dreamy underground palace. Inside the cave there are over 180 stalagmites, stone pillars, and stone curtains, each with unique shapes and breathtaking beauty.

Highlights: Inside the cave, the colorful rocks under the lights unfold like a painting scroll. Some stalactites resemble historical figures and wild animals, incredibly lifelike. The guide tells legendary stories about the cave, letting you experience the ancients' awe and imagination toward nature.

Quick facts: Elephant Trunk Hill looks just like a giant elephant stretching its long trunk into the Li River, creating a highly recognizable natural landscape. Legend has it that the water cave under the elephant's trunk is called the "Water Moon Cave," and on moonlit nights, the moonlight reflected on the water at the cave's entrance creates a very enchanting scene.

Highlights: Elephant Trunk Hill is not only unique in shape but also hides the Water Moon Cave. At night, visitors can see the moonlight reflected on the water, like a moon in the water, a magical sight. The rocks on the hill show the texture of elephant skin, making it feel as if you can truly touch the elephant's trunk.

Quick facts: Seven Star Park has seven peaks arranged in the shape of the Big Dipper, a breathtaking sight. The park hides over 1,000 karst caves, offering a strong sense of exploration.

Highlights: The Seven Star Cave in the park was once used by the ancients as a summer retreat, with the sound of the Water Curtain Cave waterfall echoing in your ears. At night, the Seven Star Cave under the lights looks like a starry sky reflected on the ground, creating a dreamy scene.

Quick facts: Taking a boat along the Li River, you can see magnificent karst peaks stretching for hundreds of kilometers, creating a grand landscape painting. The water is as smooth as a mirror, reflecting the blue sky and distant mountains, like a wonderland.

Highlights: The peaks along the Li River come in various shapes, with natural wonders like "Elephant Trunk Hill" and "Yellow Cloth Reflection." Bamboo rafts of fishermen often drift on the water, creating a tranquil yet vivid scene. On the boat, you can also watch fishermen perform with traditional cormorants, experiencing the harmony between ancient fishing techniques and nature.

Quick facts: There is a street that brings together snacks and handicrafts from around the world, bustling with activity. At night, the lights and ancient architecture complement each other, and the unique night market atmosphere makes it hard to leave.

Highlights: The unique soul of this street lies in its blend of century-old historical buildings and modern culture. As night falls, colorful lights illuminate every detail of the street, and the aroma of street food wafts over, making your mouth water. A special recommendation is the lychee-flavored traditional sugar-coated hawthorn stick, sweet with a hint of sourness, leaving a lasting aftertaste.

Quick facts: Fubo Hill's name means "Wave-Subduing Hill", inspired by an ancient general who supposedly tamed waves here. The hill rises sharply with over 200 steep steps leading to stunning views of the Li River's winding paths below.

Highlights: A secret cavern inside holds a stone that looks like a giant turtle's shell, a symbol of longevity and strength in local folklore. Climbing to the top reveals a panoramic vista where the river resembles a dragon weaving through the landscape.

Quick facts: The terraced fields cover an area of over 66 square kilometers and have a history of more than 600 years. Every spring and summer, when the fields are filled with water, they reflect the sky like mirrors, a sight so beautiful it intoxicates the heart.

Highlights: Over 95% of the terraced fields step upward in layers along the mountain, with farmers using an ancient irrigation system to bring water uphill. In autumn, when the rice turns golden, the entire terraced landscape becomes like a flowing golden painting.

Quick facts: This body of water connects three rivers and four lakes in Guilin. At night, the lights reflect on the water surface, creating a dreamlike beauty. Taking a boat tour around the lakes is the best way to experience the scenery, with different charms in every season.

Highlights: There are 12 ancient bridges circling the area. When lit up at night, the entire water system looks like a flowing gallery. Riding a traditional painted boat, you glide over the shimmering lake, as if traveling through a tunnel of time.

Quick facts: The forest park covers an area of over 8 square kilometers, with rich karst landforms and diverse vegetation. The mountains are dotted with dense bamboo groves, the air is fresh, and it serves as a habitat for rare birds.

Highlights: The towering rock peaks stand like natural sculptures, and when mist surrounds them, it feels like a fairyland. When visiting White Lotus Cave, you can see fantastically shaped stalactites, as if entering an underground palace.

Quick facts: Around 150 bamboo rafts drift along this emerald ribbon every day, each pushed by a single pole and plenty of patience. Passengers sit barely a foot above the water, which stays clear enough to count individual pebbles on the riverbed below.

Highlights: The river slides over a chain of low stone weirs, and each raft bows downward with a hollow wooden thump that echoes off the karst cliffs. On misty mornings, blue herons hunt along the banks while the peaks stack perfect reflections for as far as you can see.

Quick facts: Director Zhang Yimou, celebrated for choreographing the 2008 Olympic opening ceremony, put roughly 600 local farmers and fishermen on the water for this nightly performance. The stage stretches 1.6 kilometers along the river, and showrunners claim the karst mountains themselves do the set design.

Highlights: Nature does the heavy lifting here, the actual moon and the black silhouette of karst peaks loom over every scene, so no two shows look identical. The finale sends dozens of performers hefting long strips of red silk, and from the back row they transform into one giant slow-breathing flame hovering above the water.