Guilin (

Standard Zhuang Standard Zhuang ( autonym: , ; pre-1982 autonym: ; Sawndip: ; ) is the official standardized form of the Zhuang languages, which are a branch of the Northern Tai languages. Its pronunciation is based on that of the Yongbei Zhuang dialect ...

: ''Gveilinz''), formerly

romanized In linguistics, romanization is the conversion of text from a different writing system to the Roman (Latin) script, or a system for doing so. Methods of romanization include transliteration, for representing written text, and transcription, ...

as Kweilin, is a

prefecture-level city A prefecture-level city () or prefectural city is an administrative division of the China, People's Republic of China (PRC), ranking below a province of China, province and above a Counties of the People's Republic of China, county in China's ...

in the northeast of

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Guangxi,; officially the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, located in South China and bordering Vietnam ( Hà Giang, Cao Bằng, Lạng Sơn, and Quảng Ninh Provinces) and the ...

. It is situated on the west bank of the

Li River The Li River or Li Jiang ( zh, c=漓江, p=Lí Jiāng) is the name for the upper reaches of the Gui River in northeastern Guangxi, China. It is part of the Xijiang River system in the Pearl River basin, flowing from Xing'an County to Pingle C ...

and borders

Hunan Hunan is an inland Provinces of China, province in Central China. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the Administrative divisions of China, province-level divisions of Hubei to the north, Jiangxi to the east, Gu ...

to the north. Its name means "forest of

sweet osmanthus ''Osmanthus fragrans'' (), variously known as sweet osmanthus, sweet olive, tea olive, and fragrant olive, is a flowering plant species native to Asia from the Himalayas through the provinces of Guizhou, Sichuan and Yunnan in China, Taiwan, souther ...

", owing to the large number of fragrant sweet osmanthus trees located in the region. The city has long been renowned for its

scenery Theatrical scenery is that which is used as a setting for a theatrical production. Scenery may be just about anything, from a single chair to an elaborately re-created street, no matter how large or how small, whether the item was custom-made or ...

karst Karst () is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble carbonate rocks such as limestone and Dolomite (rock), dolomite. It is characterized by features like poljes above and drainage systems with sinkholes and caves underground. Ther ...

topography. Guilin is one of China's most popular tourist destinations, and the epithet "By water, by mountains, most lovely, Guilin" () is often associated with the city. The State Council of China has designated Guilin a National Famous Historical and Cultural City, doing so in the first edition of the list.

History

Before the

Qin dynasty The Qin dynasty ( ) was the first Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China. It is named for its progenitor state of Qin, a fief of the confederal Zhou dynasty (256 BC). Beginning in 230 BC, the Qin under King Ying Zheng enga ...

, the Guilin region was settled by the

Baiyue people The Baiyue, Hundred Yue, or simply Yue, were various ethnic groups who inhabited the regions of southern China and northern Vietnam during the 1st millennium BC and 1st millennium AD. They were known for their short hair, body tattoos, fine s ...

. In 314 BC, a small settlement was established along the banks of the

. During the Qin dynasty's (221–206 BC) campaigns against the state of

Nanyue Nanyue ( zh, c=南越 or 南粵, p=Nányuè, cy=, j=Naam4 Jyut6, l=Southern Yue, , ), was an ancient kingdom founded in 204 BC by the Chinese general Zhao Tuo, whose family (known in Vietnamese as the Triệu dynasty) continued to rule until ...

, the first administration was set up in the area around Guilin. The modern city was located within the

Guilin Commandery Yulin Commandery () was a Chinese commandery that existed from Qin dynasty to Tang dynasty in the modern region of Guangxi. History Yulin Commandery was established as Guilin Commandery (桂林郡) in 214 BC, when the Qin dynasty conquered Lingnan ...

, which is the origin of the modern name "Guilin". In 111 BC, during the reign of Emperor Wu of the

Han dynasty The Han dynasty was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC ...

, Shi'an County () was established, which could be regarded as the beginning of the city. In AD 507, the town was renamed Guizhou (Gui Prefecture, ). In 634,

Lingui County Lingui District () is the county seat and District (China), district administered by Guilin, Guangxi, China, and located midway between Guilin and Yangshuo. The district is mostly rural and hilly, marked by the same dramatic karst topography for w ...

was established at the modern site of Guilin, under Gui Prefecture. In 868,

Pang Xun Pang Xun (龐勛; died October 14, 869Academia Sinicabr>Chinese-Western Calendar Converter.''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 251.) was the leader of a major rebellion, by soldiers from Xu Prefecture (徐州, in modern Xuzhou, Jiangsu), against the rule of ...

rebelled against the Tang from Gui Prefecture. Guilin prospered in the Tang and

Song A song is a musical composition performed by the human voice. The voice often carries the melody (a series of distinct and fixed pitches) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs have a structure, such as the common ABA form, and are usu ...

dynasties but remained a county. The city was also a nexus between the central government and the southwest border, and it was where regular armies were placed to guard that border.

Canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface ...

s were built through the city so that food supplies could be directly transported from the food-productive

Yangtze The Yangtze or Yangzi ( or ) is the longest river in Eurasia and the third-longest in the world. It rises at Jari Hill in the Tanggula Mountains of the Tibetan Plateau and flows including Dam Qu River the longest source of the Yangtze, i ...

plain to the farthest southwestern point of the empire. In 997,

Guangnan West Circuit Guangnan West Circuit or Guangnan West Province was one of the major circuits during the Song dynasty. Its administrative area corresponds to roughly the modern provinces of Guangxi and Hainan, as well as the western part of Guangdong (Leizhou ...

, the predecessor of modern Guangxi, was established, with Guizhou as the capital. In 1133, Guizhou was renamed Jingjiang Prefecture (). In 1367, the name was changed to Guilin Prefecture (). In 1921, Guilin became one of the headquarters of the Northern Expeditionary Army led by

Sun Yat-sen Sun Yat-senUsually known as Sun Zhongshan () in Chinese; also known by Names of Sun Yat-sen, several other names. (; 12 November 186612 March 1925) was a Chinese physician, revolutionary, statesman, and political philosopher who founded the Republ ...

. In 1940, Guilin City was established. Guilin was the provincial capital of Guangxi before 1912 and from 1936 to 1949. Guilin became one of the most important military, transport, and cultural centers of China during World War II. The city drastically expanded as refugees from all over China poured in, and by 1944 its population had grown from 70,000 pre-war to more than 500,000. It hosted intellectuals and artists including

Guo Moruo Guo Moruo (November 16, 1892 – June 12, 1978), courtesy name Dingtang, was a Chinese author, poet, historian, archaeologist, and government official. Biography Family history Guo Moruo, originally named Guo Kaizhen, was born on November 10 or ...

Mao Dun Shen Dehong (Shen Yanbing; 4 July 1896 – 27 March 1981), best known by the pen name of Mao Dun, was a Chinese novelist, essayist, journalist, playwright, literary and cultural critic. He was highly celebrated for his Literary realism, rea ...

Ba Jin Li Yaotang ( zh, s=李尧棠, t=李堯棠, p=Lǐ Yáotáng; 25 November 1904 – 17 October 2005), better known by his pen name Ba Jin ( zh, s=巴金, t=巴金, p=Bā Jīn) or his courtesy name Li Feigan ( zh, s=李芾甘, t=李芾甘, p=Lǐ F� ...

Tian Han Tian Han ( zh, 田汉; 12 March 1898 – 10 December 1968), formerly romanized as T'ien Han, was a Chinese drama activist, playwright, a leader of revolutionary music and films, as well as a translator and poet. He emerged at the time of the ...

Xu Beihong Xu Beihong (; 19 July 1895 – 26 September 1953), also known as Ju Péon, was a Chinese painter. He was primarily known for his Ink wash painting, Chinese ink paintings of horses and birds and was one of the first Chinese artists to articulat ...

Feng Zikai Feng Zikai (; November 9, 1898 – September 15, 1975) was an influential Chinese painter, pioneering ''manhua'' () artist, essayist, and lay Buddhist of 20th-century China. Born just after the First Sino-Japanese War and dying just before the en ...

and many others. In 1950, the provincial capital of Guangxi was moved from Guilin to

Nanning Nanning; is the capital of the Guangxi, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in South China, southern China. It is known as the "Green City (绿城) " because of its abundance of lush subtropical foliage. Located in the South of Guangxi, Nanning ...

. In 1981, Guilin was listed by the

State Council State Council may refer to: Government * State Council of the People's Republic of China, the national cabinet and chief administrative authority of China, headed by the Premier * State Council of the Republic of Korea, the national cabinet of S ...

as one of the four cities (the other three being

Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...

Hangzhou Hangzhou, , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ; formerly romanized as Hangchow is a sub-provincial city in East China and the capital of Zhejiang province. With a population of 13 million, the municipality comprises ten districts, two counti ...

, and

Suzhou Suzhou is a major prefecture-level city in southern Jiangsu province, China. As part of the Yangtze Delta megalopolis, it is a major economic center and focal point of trade and commerce. Founded in 514 BC, Suzhou rapidly grew in size by the ...

) where the protection of historical and cultural heritage, as well as natural scenery, should be treated as a priority project.

Administrative divisions

Guilin administers seventeen county-level divisions, including 6

districts A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions ...

, 8

counties A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

, 2

autonomous counties Autonomous counties () and autonomous banners () are county-level autonomous administrative divisions of China. Autonomous counties tend to have a large number of ethnic minority citizens compared to ordinary counties (if not an outright major ...

, and 1

county-level city A county-level city () is a County-level divisions of China, county-level administrative division of the China, People's Republic of China. County-level cities have judiciary, judicial but no legislature, legislative rights over their own local or ...

. *

District A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municip ...

: ** Xiufeng District () ** Xiangshan District () ** Diecai District () **

Qixing District Qixing District (; ) is a district of the city of Guilin, Guangxi Guangxi,; officially the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People's Republic of China, located in South Ch ...

() ** Yanshan District () **

Lingui District Lingui District () is the county seat and district administered by Guilin, Guangxi, China, and located midway between Guilin and Yangshuo. The district is mostly rural and hilly, marked by the same dramatic karst topography for which Guilin is fa ...

() *

County-level city A county-level city () is a County-level divisions of China, county-level administrative division of the China, People's Republic of China. County-level cities have judiciary, judicial but no legislature, legislative rights over their own local or ...

: **

Lipu LIPU, the Lega italiana protezione uccelli (En. “Italian League for Bird Protection”) is an Italian charitable organisation, founded in 1965 and devoted to the protection of the country's wildlife with a particular focus on birds. It has a memb ...

city () *

County A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

: **

Yangshuo County Yangshuo County () is a county under the jurisdiction of Guilin City, in the northeast of Guangxi, China. Its seat is located in Yangshuo Town. Surrounded by karst peaks and bordered on one side by the Li River, it is served by bus and by boat f ...

() ** Lingchuan County () **

Xing'an County Xing'an County is a county (China), county in the northeast of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. It is administered as part of the prefecture-level city of Guilin. Its area is , with a population of 370000. The postal code is 541300. Admi ...

() **

Quanzhou County Quanzhou County (; ) is a county in the northeast of Guangxi, China, bordering Hunan province to the north and east. It is under the administration of Guilin City. Quanzhou is the biggest county in Guilin both in size and in population. The diale ...

() **

Yongfu County Yongfu County () is a county under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Guilin, Guangxi, China, located to the southwest of downtown Guilin. The county is mostly rural and hilly, marked by the same dramatic karst topography for whi ...

() **

Ziyuan County Ziyuan County (; ) is a county in the northeast of Guangxi, China, bordering Hunan province to the north. It is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Guilin. Administrative divisions Ziyuan County is divided into 3 towns, 1 tow ...

() **

Guanyang County Guanyang County (; Zhuang language: ) is a county in the northeast of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, bordering Hunan province to the east. It is under the administration of Guilin Guilin (Standard Zhuang: ''Gveilinz''), posta ...

() **

Pingle County Pingle County (; ) is a county in the northeast of Guangxi, China. It is under the administration of Guilin Guilin (Standard Zhuang: ''Gveilinz''), postal map romanization, formerly romanization of Chinese, romanized as Kweilin, is a prefectu ...

() *

Autonomous county Autonomous counties () and autonomous banners () are Counties of China, county-level autonomous administrative divisions of China. Autonomous counties tend to have a large number of ethnic minority citizens compared to ordinary counties (if not ...

: **

Gongcheng Yao Autonomous County Gongcheng Yao Autonomous County () is a county within the prefecture-level city of Guilin, Guangxi, China. The county spans a total area of , and has a population of approximately 300,000 as of 2011. History The area was first incorporated unde ...

() **

Longsheng Various Nationalities Autonomous County Longsheng Various Nationalities Autonomous County ( zh, s=龙胜各族自治县, t=龍勝各族自治縣, p=Lóngshèng Gèzú Zìzhìxiàn; ; usually referred to as "Longsheng County" ) is a county in the northeast of Guangxi, China, bordering Hu ...

()

Geography

Guilin is located in northern Guangxi, bordering

Liuzhou Liuzhou (; , Standard Mandarin: , Liuzhou Yue dialect: International Phonetic Alphabet, iəu53 ʦəu44 is a prefecture-level city in north-central Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China. The prefecture's population was 4 ...

to the west,

Laibin Laibin ( zh, s=来宾市, t=來賓市, p=Láibīn, Zhuang: Laizbinh) is a prefecture-level city in the central part of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. History Laibin is an ancient town with more than 2000 years of history. The area ...

to the southwest,

Wuzhou Wuzhou ( zh, s= , p=Wúzhōu, j=Ng⁴zau¹, postal: Wuchow; ), formerly Ngchow, is a prefecture-level city in the east of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China. Geography and climate Wuzhou is located in eastern Guangxi ...

to the south,

Hezhou Hezhou () is a prefecture-level city in the northeast of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China. Geography and climate Hezhou is located in northeastern Guangxi. It borders Hunan to the north and Guangdong to the east. ...

to the southeast, and within neighbouring

Huaihua Huaihua () is a prefecture-level city in the southwest of Hunan province, China. It is known as the "Western Gate" of Hunan and is the largest prefecture-level city in the province.It covers and is bordered by Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous P ...

to the northwest,

Shaoyang Shaoyang (), formerly named Baoqing (Paoking) (), is a prefecture-level city in southwestern Hunan province, China, bordering Guangxi to the south. It has a history of 2500 years and remains an important commercial and transportation city in Huna ...

to the north, and

Yongzhou Yongzhou () is a prefecture-level city in the south of Hunan province, People's Republic of China, located on the southern bank of the Xiang River, which is formed by the confluence of the Xiao River, Xiao and Xiang Rivers, and bordering Guang ...

to the east. It has a total area of . The topography of the area is marked by

karst formations Karst () is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble carbonate rocks such as limestone and Dolomite (rock), dolomite. It is characterized by features like poljes above and drainage systems with sinkholes and caves underground. Ther ...

. The karsts surrounding Guilin are made of

Triassic The Triassic ( ; sometimes symbolized 🝈) is a geologic period and system which spans 50.5 million years from the end of the Permian Period 251.902 million years ago ( Mya), to the beginning of the Jurassic Period 201.4 Mya. The Triassic is t ...

period

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

and

dolomite rock Dolomite (also known as dolomite rock, dolostone or dolomitic rock) is a sedimentary carbonate rock that contains a high percentage of the mineral dolomite, CaMg(CO3)2. It occurs widely, often in association with limestone and evaporites, tho ...

s. The

flows through the city. *Hills and mountains: Diecai Hill (),

Elephant Trunk Hill : The Elephant Trunk Hill ( Chinese: 象鼻山; pinyin: ''Xiàngbí Shān'') is a hill in Guilin, Guangxi, China. Name Elephant Trunk Hill is the symbol of the city of Guilin. It got its name because it looks like an elephant drinking water. T ...

, Wave-Subduing Hill (), Lipu Mountains,

Kitten Mountain Kitten Mountain (also ''Mao'er Mountains''; ) is a mountain located on the border between Ziyuan County and Xing'an County, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (GZAR) in the People's Republic of China that lies about from the prefecture-level ci ...

, the highest peak of Guangxi, and Yao Hill () *Caves:

Reed Flute Cave The Reed Flute Cave (), also known as "the Palace of Natural Arts," is a landmark and tourist attraction in Guilin, Guangxi, China. The cave got its name from the type of reed growing outside, which can be made into flutes. Reed Flute Cave is ...

Seven-star Cave Seven-Star Cave () is an extensive limestone cave complex in Seven Star Park, both of which are popular tourist attractions in the city of Guilin in Guangxi Autonomous Region in China. The name derives from the fact the main karst limestone peak ...

Climate

Guilin has a monsoon-influenced

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

''Cfa'', bordering on ''Cwa''), with short, mild winters, and long, hot, humid summers. Winter begins dry but becomes progressively wetter and cloudier. Spring is generally overcast and often rainy, while summer continues to be rainy though is the sunniest time of year. Autumn is sunny and dry. The monthly 24-hour average temperature ranges from in January to in July, and the annual mean is . The annual rainfall is just under and is delivered in bulk (~50%) from April to June, when the

plum rain The East Asian rainy season (), also called the plum rain, is caused by precipitation along a persistent stationary front known as the Meiyu front for nearly two months during the late spring and early summer in East Asia between China, Taiwan ...

s occur and often create the risk of flooding. With monthly percent possible sunshine ranging from 14% in March to 53% in September, the city receives 1,487 hours of bright sunshine annually. Extremes since 1951 have ranged from (though an unofficial record low of was recorded on 25 January 1940) to .

Demographics

According to the

2020 Chinese census The Seventh National Population Census of the People's Republic of China (), also referred to as the 2020 Chinese Census, was the seventh National Population Census of the People's Republic of China, national census conducted by the National Bure ...

its population was 4,931,137 inhabitants and 2,148,641 lived in the built-up (or metro) area made of 6 urban Districts plus Lingchuan County now being conurbated. According to the

2010 Chinese census The 2010 Chinese census, officially the Sixth National Population Census of the People's Republic of China (中华人民共和国第六次全国人口普查), was conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics of the People's Republic of China wi ...

, the largest ethnic group in the prefecture-level city was

Han Chinese The Han Chinese, alternatively the Han people, are an East Asian people, East Asian ethnic group native to Greater China. With a global population of over 1.4 billion, the Han Chinese are the list of contemporary ethnic groups, world's la ...

, accounting for 84.53% of the total population. This was followed by Yao at 7.79% and Zhuang at 4.81%. Citizens of Guilin's urban area speak a dialect of

Mandarin Mandarin or The Mandarin may refer to: Language * Mandarin Chinese, branch of Chinese originally spoken in northern parts of the country ** Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Mandarin, the official language of China ** Taiwanese Mandarin, Stand ...

, while

Pinghua Pinghua is a pair of Sinitic languages spoken mainly in parts of Guangxi, with some speakers in Hunan. Pinghua is a trade language in some areas of Guangxi, spoken as a second language by speakers of Zhuang languages. Some speakers are offic ...

is predominantly spoken in suburbs and surrounding areas.

Economy

* The GDP per capita was ¥41891 (ca. US$6569) in 2020, ranked no. 134 among 659 Chinese cities. * Local industries:

condoms A condom is a sheath-shaped barrier device used during sexual intercourse to reduce the probability of pregnancy or a sexually transmitted infection (STI). There are both external condoms, also called male condoms, and internal (female) ...

pharmaceutical Medication (also called medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug, medicinal product, medicinal drug or simply drug) is a drug used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease. Drug therapy ( pharmacotherapy) is an important part of the ...

goods,

tire A tire (North American English) or tyre (Commonwealth English) is a ring-shaped component that surrounds a Rim (wheel), wheel's rim to transfer a vehicle's load from the axle through the wheel to the ground and to provide Traction (engineeri ...

machinery A machine is a physical system that uses power to apply forces and control movement to perform an action. The term is commonly applied to artificial devices, such as those employing engines or motors, but also to natural biological macromolec ...

fertilizer A fertilizer or fertiliser is any material of natural or synthetic origin that is applied to soil or to plant tissues to supply plant nutrients. Fertilizers may be distinct from liming materials or other non-nutrient soil amendments. Man ...

silk Silk is a natural fiber, natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be weaving, woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is most commonly produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoon (silk), c ...

, perfume, wine, tea,

cinnamon Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several tree species from the genus ''Cinnamomum''. Cinnamon is used mainly as an aromatic condiment and flavouring additive in a wide variety of cuisines, sweet and savoury dishes, biscuits, b ...

herbal medicine Herbal medicine (also called herbalism, phytomedicine or phytotherapy) is the study of pharmacognosy and the use of medicinal plants, which are a basis of traditional medicine. Scientific evidence for the effectiveness of many herbal treatments ...

*Local agricultural products: Shatian Pomelo, summer orange, Fructus Momordicae,

ginkgo ''Ginkgo'' is a genus of non-flowering seed plants, assigned to the gymnosperms. The scientific name is also used as the English common name. The order to which the genus belongs, Ginkgoales, first appeared in the Permian, , and ''Ginkgo'' is n ...

, moon persimmon, Lipu Taro, Sanhua Alcohol,

pepper sauce The following is a list of pepper sauces. Pepper sauce may refer generally to sauces made with black pepper, Sichuan pepper, or chili peppers, or to the following dishes: * Bajan pepper sauce *Chili sauce *Peppercorn sauce * Harrisa *Sauce poivrade ...

fermented bean curd Fermented tofu (also called fermented bean curd, white bean-curd cheese, tofu cheese, soy cheese, preserved tofu or sufu) is a Chinese condiment consisting of a form of processed, preserved tofu used in East Asian cuisine; typical ingredients ...

, Guilin Rice Noodle,

water chestnut Water chestnut may refer to either of two plants, both used in Chinese cuisine: * ''Eleocharis dulcis'', or Chinese water chestnut, is eaten for its crisp corm * Water caltrop, ''Trapa natans'', is eaten for its starchy seed See also * Chinese cui ...

grain A grain is a small, hard, dry fruit (caryopsis) – with or without an attached husk, hull layer – harvested for human or animal consumption. A grain crop is a grain-producing plant. The two main types of commercial grain crops are cereals and ...

, fish and dried bean milk cream in tight rolls Until 1949 only a thermal power plant, a cement works, and some small textile mills existed as signs of industrialization in Guilin. However, since the 1950s Guilin has added electronics, engineering, and agricultural equipment, medicine, rubber, buses, textile, and cotton yarn factories. Food processing, including the processing of local agricultural produce, remains the most important industry. More recent and modern industry features high technology, and the tertiary industry is characterized by tourism trading and service. Citizens of

ASEAN The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, commonly abbreviated as ASEAN, is a regional grouping of 10 states in Southeast Asia "that aims to promote economic and security cooperation among its ten members." Together, its member states r ...

states do not need a visa to visit Guilin if part of a tour lasting a maximum of 144 hours (not including the day of arrival).

Transportation

Air

The airport is

Guilin Liangjiang International Airport Guilin Liangjiang International Airport is an international airport serving the city of Guilin in South Central China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. It is located in Liangjiang Town, about southwest of the city center. In 2014, Guil ...

(ICAO:ZGKL, IATA:KWL). Airlines that fly to the airport are: *

China Eastern China Eastern Airlines (branded as China Eastern) is a major airline in China, headquartered in Changning, Shanghai. It is one of the three major airlines in the country, along with Air China and China Southern Airlines. China Eastern's mai ...

Asiana Airlines Asiana Airlines Inc. ( ) is a South Korean airline headquartered in Seoul.Home
." Asiana Airlines. Retrieved 13 September 2 ...

* China Southern *

Air China Air China, officially Air China Limited, ( zh, s=中国国际航空公司, labels=no, ''Zhōngguó guójì hángkōng gōngsī'') is a major Chinese airline and the flag carrier of the People's Republic of China. It is headquartered in Shunyi ...

Hainan Airlines Hainan Airlines is an airline headquartered in Haikou, Hainan, China. It is the largest civilian-run enterprise, civilian-run and majority State ownership, state-owned air transport company, making it the fourth-largest airline in terms of flee ...

Shanghai Airlines Shanghai Airlines is an airline headquartered in Shanghai and a wholly owned subsidiary of China Eastern Airlines. Shanghai Airlines operates domestic and international services. The logo is a white crane on a red vertical tail fin. The airli ...

Shandong Airlines Shandong Airlines Co., Ltd. (; nicknamed SDA or ) is an airline based in the Shandong Airlines Center () in Jinan, Shandong. The Chinese carrier operates a sizable domestic network from Jinan, Qingdao and Yantai to major cities across China, toge ...

Xiamen Airlines Xiamen Airlines ( ) (branded as XiamenAir), is an airline based in Xiamen, Fujian, China. XiamenAir has its northern headquarters in Beijing and eight branches in Fuzhou, Hangzhou, Tianjin, Hunan, Beijing, Quanzhou, Chongqing and Shanghai, and t ...

Tianjin Airlines Tianjin Airlines ( — formerly Grand China Express Air) is a Chinese airline headquartered in Tianjin Binhai International Airport passenger terminal building, Dongli District, Tianjin, operating domestic scheduled passenger flights out of T ...

EVA Air EVA Airways Corporation ( ; ) () is an international airline headquartered in Taoyuan City. It is one of the two largest airlines in Taiwan along with state-owned China Airlines. The privately owned airline operates passenger and dedicated c ...

Air Asia Capital A Berhad (), operating as AirAsia (stylised as ''airasia'') is a Malaysian multinational low-cost airline headquartered near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Established in 1993 and commencing operations in 1996, the airline is the largest in ...

Beijing Capital Airlines Beijing Capital Airlines (), commonly known as Capital Airlines, is a Chinese low-cost airline based at Beijing Daxing International Airport. It is a subsidiary of Hainan Airlines. History The company was established in 1995 as Deer Jet Airl ...

Hebei Airlines Hebei Airlines (河北航空公司 ''Héběi Hángkōng gōngsī'') is a Chinese airline which has its corporate headquarters in the Shijiazhuang World Trade Plaza Hotel (S: 石家庄世贸广场酒店, T: 石家莊世貿廣場酒店, P: ''Shíji ...

Rail

Guilin has several high-speed rail stations, , , Guilin, and a new station in the

. Guilin station and Guilin North station are on the Hunan–Guangxi railway,

Hengyang–Liuzhou intercity railway Hengyang–Liuzhou intercity railway is a high-speed railway in South-Western China, connecting Hunan and Guangxi provinces. It provides a high-speed connection with the Beijing–Guangzhou–Shenzhen–Hong Kong High-Speed Railway and links wi ...

and

Guiyang–Guangzhou high-speed railway Guiyang–Guangzhou high-speed railway, also known as the Guiguang HSR, is a high-speed railway line in southern China between Guiyang in Guizhou Province and Guangzhou in Guangdong Province. The railway is dedicated to high speed passenger rail ...

, the main railways connecting Guangxi with central and southern China. Arriving at North Station, high-speed trains between Guilin and

Changsha Changsha is the capital of Hunan, China. It is the 15th most populous city in China with a population of 10,513,100, the Central China#Cities with urban area over one million in population, third-most populous city in Central China, and the ...

and

came into operation in December 2013. In December 2014, high-speed operations began connecting

Guangzhou Guangzhou, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Canton or Kwangchow, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Guangdong Provinces of China, province in South China, southern China. Located on the Pearl River about nor ...

Shenzhen Shenzhen is a prefecture-level city in the province of Guangdong, China. A Special economic zones of China, special economic zone, it is located on the east bank of the Pearl River (China), Pearl River estuary on the central coast of Guangdong ...

Guiyang Guiyang; Mandarin pronunciation: ; Chinese postal romanization, alternatively as Kweiyang is the capital of Guizhou, Guizhou province in China. It is centrally located within the province, on the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau, eastern part of the Yun ...

, and

Shanghai Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...

. This made it more convenient for people to come to Guilin. It takes only about 2 or 3 hours from Guangzhou to Guilin, 9 hours from Shanghai to Guilin, and 13 hours from Beijing to Guilin."High-speed Trains Available in Guilin" ChinaTour.Net
Accessed 2014-12-29 Trains traveling between Kunming South and

West Kowloon West Kowloon (), named after West Kowloon Reclamation Project as a part of Airport Core Programme, is the western part of Kowloon Peninsula in Hong Kong, situated within the Yau Tsim Mong District and Sham Shui Po District. The Land reclam ...

stations (for example) stop at Guilin West railway station."G314 timetable"
Accessed 2019-02-12

Urban

The city's public transportation includes bus routes and taxis. Guilin is the leading city in Mainland China operating

double-decker bus A double-decker bus is a bus that has two storeys or decks. Double-deckers are used primarily for commuter transport, but open-top models are used as sightseeing buses for tourists, and there are coaches too for long-distance travel. They app ...

es regularly on major routes; in its main street, the double-deckers run one by one almost every minute. Sightseeing boats also run on the city's canals and lakes. A Guilin Metro is planned for 7 lines by 2040 with 117 stations and a total length of 273.2 kilometres. Line 1 is planned to have been opened by 2025, and it will be 29.23 km with 13 stations.

Public colleges and universities

* Guilin University of Technology *

Guilin Medical University Guilin Medical University (GLMU; ) is a public university, located in Guilin, Guangxi, China. The university offers undergraduate and postgraduate programs through its schools: School of Medicine, School of Nursing and Midwifery and Graduate Schoo ...

* Guilin University of Electronic Technology *

Guangxi Normal University Guangxi Normal University (, abbreviated GXNU) is a provincial research university located in Guilin, Guangxi, China with historical strengths in arts and sciences, teacher education and international exchange programs. Its campus houses the Ji ...

* Guilin University of Aerospace Technology () * Guilin University ''Note:'' Institutions without full-time bachelor programs are not listed.

Scenic spots

1 li jiang guilin yangshuo 2011.jpg, The

connects Guilin and

87340-Li-River (29881879337).jpg, Ship tour on Li River 1 ping an longji terrace 2011.jpg, Longsheng Rice Terrace (Ping An) 1 pano cuiping yangshuo 2016.jpg, Cuiping Village 1 pano xinping yangshupo.jpg, Xingping Village 1 aerial yangshuo panorama 2017.jpg, Rafts sailing down the Yulong River in Yangshuo, a county of Guilin Sun and Moon Pagodas Guilin November 2017 HDR panorama.jpg,

Sun and Moon Pagodas The Sun and Moon Pagodas ( zh, s=日月双塔, p=Rìyuè Shuāngtǎ) are twin pagodas located in Guilin, Guangxi, China. Originally built in the city moat of Guilin during the Tang dynasty, the pagodas were reconstructed in 2001 using historical ...

in Shan Lake Reed flute cave.jpg, Reed Flute Cave Guilin scenic.jpg, Scenic view of the town from Seven-star Park Longji rice terraces - 2023 10 11 Kaur Virunurm.jpg, Longji rice terraces Scenic spots around Guilin include: *

Jingjiang Princes City Jingjiang Princes' Palace () is a historical site in Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. It now functions as both Guangxi Normal University and as a tourist attraction. History The Jingjiang Princes' Palace (also known as the Jin ...

, a royal complex dating from the

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...

that lies near the center of modern Guilin *

Silver Cave Silver Cave () is a national AAAA level scenic spot in Lipu County, Guilin City, Guangxi Province of China, 85 km from Guilin and 18 km away from Yangshuo. Silver Cave lies in typical karst landscape, running through 12 hills. The cave ...

* Yangshuo *

Seven-Star Cave Seven-Star Cave () is an extensive limestone cave complex in Seven Star Park, both of which are popular tourist attractions in the city of Guilin in Guangxi Autonomous Region in China. The name derives from the fact the main karst limestone peak ...

and Seven Star Park () *Camel Mountain () and

*Piled Festoon Hill () *Crescent Hill () *Fubo Hill () *Nanxi Hill () *Erlang Gorge () *Huangbu (Yellow Cloth) Beach () *

Moon Hill Moon Hill () is a hill with a natural arch through it a few kilometers outside Yangshuo in southern People's Republic of China, China's Guangxi autonomous region. Moon Hill is part of the Guilin Mountains. It is so named for a wide, semicircular ...

* Longsheng Rice Terrace *Daxu Ancient Town () *Xingping Ancient Town () *Duxiu, Solitary Beauty Peak () *Liusanjie Landscape Garden () *Yao Hill () *

()

Cuisine

Guilin cuisine is a mixture of Cantonese cuisine and Zhuang cuisine. It is known for its snacks and the use of spices, especially chili. Guilin chili sauce (), used widely in cooking by locals, is made of fresh chili, garlic, and fermented soybeans, and is considered one of the city's Three Treasures (). The other two of the Three Treasures are Guilin Sanhua Jiu (), a variety of ''

rice baijiu ''Mixiang baijiu'' () or rice ''baijiu'' is a variety of Chinese liquor (''baijiu'') distillation, distilled mainly from rice, rather than from sorghum or other grains like other types of ''baijiu''. Rice ''baijiu'' is famous for having a charact ...

'', or liquor distilled from rice; and Guilin

pickled tofu Fermented tofu (also called fermented bean curd, white bean-curd cheese, tofu cheese, soy cheese, preserved tofu or sufu) is a Chinese condiment consisting of a form of processed, preserved tofu used in East Asian cuisine; typical ingredients ...

Guilin

rice noodles Rice noodles are noodles made with rice flour and water as the principal ingredients. Sometimes ingredients such as tapioca or corn starch are added in order to improve the transparency or increase the gelatinous and chewy texture of the noodle ...

have been the local breakfast staple since the Qin dynasty and are renowned for their delicate taste. Legend has it that when Qin troops suffering from diarrhea entered this region, a cook created the Guilin rice noodles for the army because they had trouble eating the local food. Specifically, the local specialty is noodles with

horse meat Horse meat forms a significant part of the culinary traditions of many countries, particularly in Europe and Asia. The eight countries that consume the most horse meat consume about 4.3million horses a year. For the majority of humanity's early ...

, but this dish can also be ordered without the horse meat. ''

Zongzi ''Zongzi'' () or simply ''zong'' () is a traditional Chinese rice dish made of glutinous rice stuffed with a range of fillings and wrapped in bamboo leaves. Fillings can be either sweet, such as red bean paste, or savory, such as pork belly or ...

'', a dumpling made from

glutinous rice Domestication syndrome refers to two sets of phenotypic traits that are common to either domesticated plants or domesticated animals. Domesticated animals tend to be smaller and less aggressive than their wild counterparts; they may also hav ...

and mung bean paste wrapped in a bamboo or banana leaf is another popular delicacy in Guilin.

Quotes

:"I often sent pictures of the hills of Guilin which I painted to friends back home, but few believed what they saw." ::-

Fan Chengda Fan Chengda (, 1126–1193), courtesy name Zhineng (), was a Chinese geographer, poet, and politician. One of the best-known Chinese poets of the Song Dynasty, he served as a government official, and was an academic authority in geography, especiall ...

(Chinese

Song dynasty The Song dynasty ( ) was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 960 to 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song, who usurped the throne of the Later Zhou dynasty and went on to conquer the rest of the Fiv ...

scholar) :" Guilin's scenery is best among

all under heaven ''Tianxia'', 'all under Heaven', is a Chinese term for a historical Chinese cultural concept that denoted either the entire geographical world or the metaphysical realm of mortals, and later became associated with political sovereignty. In anc ...

." () ::- Popular Chinese quote

International relations

Twin towns—Sister cities

Guilin is twinned with: * –

Nishikatsura, Yamanashi is a town located in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 4,298 in 1552 households, and a population density of 280 persons per km2. The total area of the town is . Geography Nishikatsura is situated in the Ka ...

, Japan – Lingchuan County * –

Kumamoto City is the capital city of Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan. , the city has an estimated population of 738,907 and a population density of 1,893 people per km2. The total area is 390.32 km2. had a population of 1,461,000, ...

, Japan – Guilin * – Toride City, Japan – Guilin * –

Miho, Ibaraki is a village located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. , the village had an estimated population of 14,504 in 5907 households and a population density of 218 persons per km2. The percentage of the population aged over 65 was 32.0%. The total area o ...

, Japan – Lingui * –

Jeju Jeju may refer to: South Korea * Jeju Island (Jejudo), South Korea * Jeju Province (formerly transliterated Cheju), a province of South Korea comprising Jejudo ** Jeju City, its capital ** Jeju dog, a dog native to Jejudo ** Jeju language ** The ...

, South Korea * –

Hastings, New Zealand Hastings (; , ) is an inland city of New Zealand and is one of the two major urban areas of New Zealand, urban areas in Hawke's Bay Region, Hawke's Bay, on the east coast of the North Island. The population of Hastings (including Flaxmere) is ...

* –

Toruń Toruń is a city on the Vistula River in north-central Poland and a World Heritage Sites of Poland, UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its population was 196,935 as of December 2021. Previously, it was the capital of the Toruń Voivodeship (1975–199 ...

, Poland * –

Orlando Orlando commonly refers to: * Orlando, Florida, a city in the United States Orlando may also refer to: People * Orlando (given name), a masculine name, includes a list of people with the name * Orlando (surname), includes a list of people wit ...

, United States * –

Tlaxcoapan Tlaxcoapan is a town and one of the 84 municipalities of Hidalgo, in central-eastern Mexico. The municipality covers an area of 79.3 km2. As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 26,758. It is now part of Tula de Allende buil ...

Hidalgo Hidalgo may refer to: People * Hidalgo (nobility), members of the Spanish nobility * Hidalgo (surname) Places Mexico :''Most, if not all, named for Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla (1753–1811)'' * Hidalgo (state), in central Mexico * Hidalgo, Coah ...

, Mexico * –

Langkawi Langkawi, officially known as Langkawi, the Jewel of Kedah (), is a duty-free island and an archipelago of 99 islands (plus five small islands visible only at low tide in the Strait of Malacca) located some 30 km off the coast of northwe ...

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

The Guilin relationship with the New Zealand city Hastings started in 1977, after a research scientist, Stuart Falconer, identified several common areas of interest between the two cities, including horticulture and their rural-urban mix. In 1997 Guilin commenced an exchange relationship with

Ōta, Gunma is a city located in Gunma Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 224,358 in 109,541 households, and a population density of 1300 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Ōta is located in the extreme so ...

, Japan.

Notable people

Bai Chongxi Bai Chongxi (18 March 1893 – 2 December 1966; , , Xiao'erjing: ) was a Chinese general in the National Revolutionary Army of the Republic of China (ROC) and a prominent leader of the Kuomintang. He was of Hui ethnicity and of the Muslim faith ...

, general and politician *

Jiang Zhenbang Jiang Zhenbang (; born 28 May 2001) is a Chinese badminton player. He helped the national team win the 2023 Asia Mixed Team Championships. He won his first World Tour title at the 2023 Swiss Open with Wei Yaxin. Achievements World Champi ...

, badminton player *

Li Zongren Li Zongren ( zh, c=李宗仁, p=Lǐ Zōngrén; 13 August 1890 – 30 January 1969), also known as Li Tsung-jen, courtesy name Delin (Te-lin; zh, p=Délín), was a Chinese warlord, military commander and politician. He was vice-president an ...

, general and

warlord Warlords are individuals who exercise military, Economy, economic, and Politics, political control over a region, often one State collapse, without a strong central or national government, typically through informal control over Militia, local ...

, vice-president and

acting Acting is an activity in which a story is told by means of its enactment by an actor who adopts a character—in theatre, television, film, radio, or any other medium that makes use of the mimetic mode. Acting involves a broad range of sk ...

president of the Republic of China The president of the Republic of China, also known as the president of Taiwan, is the head of state of the Taiwan, Republic of China (Taiwan), as well as the commander-in-chief of the Republic of China Armed Forces. Republic of China (1912– ...

Ma Junwu Ma Junwu 馬君武 (1881 in Guilin – 1940 in Guilin) was a scientist and educator in China and first president of Guangxi University. Biography Ma Junwu was born in Guilin in 1881 and enlisted in one of the new schools for higher education th ...

, scientist, educator and politician *

Ou Hongyi Ou Hongyi (; IPA: ə̄u xʷúŋìː), also known by her English name Howey Ou, is a Chinese environmental activist who organises the school strike for climate in Guilin in southern China, calling for more action to limit greenhouse gas emissio ...

, climate activist * Ouyang Xiadan, news anchor for

China Central Television China Central Television (CCTV) is the State media, national television broadcaster of China, established in 1958. CCTV is operated by the National Radio and Television Administration which reports directly to the Publicity Department of th ...

Pai Hsien-yung Kenneth Hsien-yung Pai ( zh, c=白先勇, poj=Pe̍h Sian-ióng, p=Bái Xiānyǒng, w=Pai Hsien-yung; born July 11, 1937) is a Taiwanese writer who has been described as a "melancholy pioneer". He was born in Guilin, Guangxi at the cusp of the Se ...

, writer *

Qiao Zhenyu Qiao Zhenyu (, born 1 November 1978) is a Chinese actor who is a graduate of the Beijing Dance Academy. Career In 2000, Qiao made his debut in the film ''Soaring Dragon Leaping Tiger''. The same year, he filmed his first television drama ''Xin ...

, actor and dancer * Shi Zhiyong, weightlifter *

Tang Jingsong Tang Jingsong (; 1841–1903) was a Chinese general and statesman. He commanded the Yunnan Army in the Sino-French War (August 1884–April 1885), and made an important contribution to Qing dynasty China's military effort in Tonkin (northern Vi ...

, general and politician, first president of the

Republic of Formosa The Republic of Formosa was a short-lived republic that existed on the island of Taiwan in 1895 between the formal cession of Taiwan by the Qing dynasty of China to the Empire of Japan in the Treaty of Shimonoseki and its being taken over by ...

Daniel Weihs Daniel Weihs (Hebrew: דניאל וייס; born 1942) is the Israeli Louis and Lyra Richmond Chair of Life Sciences and Distinguished Professor Emeritus in Aeronautical Engineering at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, and the Head o ...

, Israeli professor of

aeronautical engineering Aerospace engineering is the primary field of engineering concerned with the development of aircraft and spacecraft. It has two major and overlapping branches: aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering. Avionics engineering is s ...

at the

Technion – Israel Institute of Technology The Technion – Israel Institute of Technology is a public university, public research university located in Haifa, Israel. Established in 1912 by Jews under the dominion of the Ottoman Empire, the Technion is the oldest university in the coun ...

References

External links

Guilin Government Official website
{{Authority control 314 BC 310s BC establishments 4th-century BC establishments in China Cities in Guangxi Populated places established in the 4th century BC Prefecture-level divisions of Guangxi National Civilized City National Famous Historical and Cultural City

History

Administrative divisions

Geography

Climate

Demographics

Economy

Transportation

Air

Rail

Urban

Public colleges and universities

Scenic spots

Cuisine

Quotes

International relations

Twin towns—Sister cities

Notable people

See also

References

Further reading

External links