The True Color of Lijiang Ancient Town

These over-hot tourist destinations always let the senior travelers frown. The flourishing business and the waves of tourists let people produce the distance. Lijiang Ancient Town is a typical example, more people cherish the memory of its original features in 10 years ago compared with its reputation. 

In the various discussions of people, it is easy to find two Lijiang City, the one is old and the other is new, and the old one belongs to locals and the new one belongs to tourists. In fact, the Naxi people who had lived in old city but moved to the new city still keep the inherent life idea and rhythm, and the Black Dragon Pond, Elephant Hill and Zhongyi Market are the places they most often to go, and the Sanyan Spring with long history of hundred years is still used, and the young people as their elders like art, flowers, parties, etc. 

Everything likes the clean water flowing in everywhere of the city, moving all the time, like one day in several years. At same time, the leisurely and casual life styles of Naxi People never disappear in the old city. No matter the tourists occupying the old city or the strangers living in here all keep the entertainment-life-style, they use most time to enjoy tea, talking, sunshine and music even be in a daze, inherit and continue some kind of living tradition unconsciously.

Lijiang Ancient Town, nowadays, the different to the old one is in nature. Something still in there, like the bottom piece of paint in the old city, never changed. 

 

A Naxi man we encountered in Lijiang likes to art, play music, singing, write poems and plant flowers and plants, calligraphy and painting. After dinner, he kills the night time with his friends, someone plays music, someone write and someone play cheese. Consciously, it is the second half of the night. 

The love to art of Lijiang people has no relate to the development of tourism. Art likes one of the must-element of their lives as well as the daily necessities. Arrival in Beijing, I quickly find I am packaged in this artistic atmosphere. Such as the music, I have no chance to miss it, when eating, shopping, walking, etc, even sleeping. The wall painting, grave, calligraphy and pot culture can be seen everywhere. Night falls, people dance in the square around the bonfire, hand in hand, it is quickly cannot distinguish the tourists and locals. Art here instincts the bounds of elegance and vulgarity, more reveal the attitude to life, no more than that. 

During the staying time in Lijiang Town, I am enjoyable about the omnipresent artistic atmosphere, no matter the popular African Drum or the tradition music, do not to bother about their origins, culture and national boundaries, and learn to regard it as the part of daily life as the locals of Lijiang Town.

Fubo Hill – Cool Escape Place when Summer Comes in Guilin

Fubo Hill is situated to the west of Li River and the north of Guilin. It is 63 meters high, 60 meters wide, and 213 meters above sea level. Standing some 63 meters high, the view from the peak has also become one of the main sites of Guilin, so that it becomes the hot attraction for Guilin tours. At the entrance of the Fubo Hill stands an ancient temple bell where become a popular place for photos, made in Qing Dynasty. Different from the Elephant Trunk Hill, to reach the top of Fubo Hill, there have some steep path to climb. There have some main attractions in Fubo Hill include Pearl Returning Cave in the southern side of the hill and 1000 Buddha Cave. Offer magnificent nature sceneries, the hill always crowded for visitors, locals and tourists.

Among so many caves on the hill, Pearl Returning Cave is most famous. Some people said about the legend of this cave which says that once a fisherman entered the cave and picked up the dragon ball in this cave which annoyed Dragon King. Because of that accident, it created trouble and brought much disaster to the common people. Later, the fisherman was ordered to give it back for peaceful life and that has become the reason why the hill got its name.

In the cave, the 1.2-meter tall self-portrait of Mi Fu can be found inscribed on the stone walls. What is worth speaking of is Mi Fu is the first person who painted the fabulous scenery of Guilin, the famous painter and calligraphy from Song Dynasty. The walls inside the cave have been embellished over the centuries with Buddhist carvings and outstanding examples of ancient Chinese calligraphy. In the upper level of the cave, there have more than 200 Buddha images. Some are over 1000 years old while most date from the Song and Tang Dynasties.
 
On the western side near the Returned Pearl Cave, there are stone stairways up to the Kuishui Pavilion and to the top. From there, visitors will have a birds-eye view of the Li River. Additionally, they feature a number of stalactites, the most famous and amazing of which called Sword Testing Rock.

With good location and stunning beauty sceneries, Fubo Hill has become one of the main attractions, the landmark that visitors should not miss when travel in Guilin. When climbing the hill, visitors will enjoy stunning and beauty view of the Li River while a cool light wind blowing.

Elephant Trunk Hill – A Tourism Symbol of Guilin

Guilin is famous for the beauty of Li River nature scenery. Along Li River, there also located many interesting and famous tourists destinations, one of them is Elephant Trunk Hill where located in the west bank of the river. Elephant Trunk Hill is a masterpiece of karsts landscape in Guilin and also has become a symbol of Guilin. In each brochures and books of Guilin tourism, there will also displayed the photos of Elephant Trunk Hill as their logo.

Elephant Trunk Hill is a spectacular limestone karst which looks like a huge elephant dipping its trunk into Li River to drink some water from the river. For fifteen hundred years, it also has been a symbol of good luck for the town. Become the main attractions in Guilin, there visitors could boat through the cave to the river. Another cave also located in hill side as the eye of elephant. From there, tourists could see the best panoramic of beautiful city Guilin and stunning Li River.

Another interesting activity that visitors could do is climb up to the top of the hill. In the top of the hill, there have two pagodas, Yunfeng Temple and Aiqing Dao (Love Island). In Love Island, visitors could see many interesting statues that dedicated for some lovers. Lot of local couples will visit Love Islands while they were in Guilin.

Located in the center of the city, Elephant Trunk Hill looks very easy to reach. Mostly all of the visitors will capture some photos in front of those fantastic karts landscape. Around the area of the hill, there have some locals that will rent many Chinese local costumes. Visitors could rent them and have some fun pose in front of this elephant trunk hill. Not only that, visitors could also rent some bamboo rafts that already prepare in the shore of the river. They will tour around the river while take bamboo rafts.  

Around this tourism area, there already become a park which could make tourists or visitors could sit and relax enjoy the scenery around. There also have some small baby elephant stones statues in the shore of the river itself. Becomes a lovely location for photograph, Elephant Trunk Hill is always there welcoming visitors who are on Guilin tour. It is a quiet and peaceful place to capture magnificent and beautiful photos of Elephant Trunk Hill and the Li River. It becomes a stunning lime stone karst, a legendary protector of Guilin.

A Brilliant Cave Marked On Almost All Travel Itineraries in Guilin

Guilin has been famous for its nature landscape which beauty and stunning worth to visit. One of the fascinating nature views that become the favorite among tourists is Reed Flute Cave. Reed Flute Cave situated in the northwest suburbs of Guilin, 5 kilometres away from the city. It has become a tourism destination from a long time ago since the ancient time, for over 1200 years from the Tang Dynasty. It even rates as one of the top four tourist sites in the city.
Reed Flute Cave or also known as "the Palace of Natural Arts" is about 240 meters long. It filled with a large number of stalactites, stalagmites and rock formations in weird and wonderful shapes. Visitors will feel like inside of a magic wonder land of stalagmites, stalactites, stone curtains, stone pillars with unique shapes and colors.

There are the stalactites hanging on the roof, the stalagmites growing on the ground, and the stone pillars formed by the stalactite and the stalagmite. With a spectacular amazing color of artificial lighting, it creates an impressive effect inside the cave. Because of that lighting color, those stalactites and stalagmites will looks more incredible with some green, blue, orange, red, white, and others effect of colors.

Since a long time ago, the locals had given a certain name of those many interesting formations of stalagmites and stalactites. Many sections received some interesting names such as Crystal Palace, Flower and Fruit Mountain, Mushroom Hill, Virgin Forests, Red Curtain or Pines in the Snow, and others. Created for over 180 million years ago, the Reed Flute Cave is now considered one of the main attractions in the Guilin region and an important inheritance of the Chinese people.

Visitors could get the local tour guide before they enter the cave. The guide usually will tell them about the history and the name of each shape of stalagmites around. That will be fun to know about the name on each stalagmites and the story behind it. Tour will lasts for about one hour and along that time, visitors will amaze by the beauty and unique formations of those stalactites and stalagmites.

Inside the cave, visitors could also find some professional photographer that will offer their service to capture the most beauty and nicest photo. And for another recommendation, visitors could wear some sweater or jackets because it will be a little cold inside the caves. Reed Flute Cave definitely will be a fantastic destination for a nature lover of tours in Guilin.

Yangshuo - Leisure Place to Have Peace Vacation in Guilin

Because Guilin has already known its unique scenery for a long time, no wonder if Guilin considered as the beautiful place in the world with spectacular and magnificent karts landscapes and clear river water. All of visitors who looking for a fascinating nature view in Guilin will satisfied and amaze by that stunning landscapes.

Guilin drained by many streams of clear water, look like a mirror that gives some reflection about the picture of magnificent karsts around. Today, China government also has promoted Guilin by drawing clusters karsts hills in the sheet of 20 RMB Chinese paper money. Li River which flows in the region and it connected with a beautiful small town Yangshuo. It has become a soul of those beauty views of Guilin and the top attraction for tourist. Visitors could come to Yangshuo by boat from the city. It located only one hour south from Guilin along the Li River. It is smaller and a much more pleasant town to enjoy the Guilin Tour.

Yangshuo is a small town where located surround by Li River and karsts hills around. Because its beauty, this small town have become one of the favorite destinations of many foreigner backpackers around the world. Because of that, Yangshuo can be called as the tourist town where full of hotels, restaurants, and cafes.

There are two main rivers around Yangshuo include the Yulong River (Dragon River) on the west and the Li River on the east. To enjoy the landscape, it is the best to go out hiking, biking or walking around the nearby countryside, or by cruising down either of the rivers.

There have lots of interesting and fun activities to enjoy stunning nature landscapes in Yangshuo. Tourists could explore all of the corners of town, buy some traditional and unique souvenirs along West street, one famous tourist street in Yangshuo. Lay back and enjoy the quiet and peace atmosphere in one of the cafes there, far from the city with no pollution and fresh air.

Hiking is also become one of favorite activities to do in Yangshuo. Hike up to Moon Hill, visitors could see the famous Moon Hill from the closest distance. Bamboo rafted on the Li River also will bring visitors to enjoy the landscape of karsts everywhere eyes could see from distance. Try some traditional Chinese food of Yangshuo and buy some mandarins and kumquats, famous fruits from the county. That exactly will be excellent and memorable experience! Yangshuo is the best escape place, the ideal place for refreshing and relaxing enjoy vacation far from the crowd of the city.