Guilin Hills

Guilin is a city in China, situated in the northeast of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on the west bank of the Lijiang River. Its name means "forest of Sweet Osmanthus", owing to the large number of fragrant Sweet Osmanthus trees located in the city. The city has long been renowned for its unique scenery.

History


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

In 111 BC, during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Shi An County was established, which could be regarded as the beginning of the city.

In 507 AD, the town was renamed Guizhou.

Guilin prospered in the Tang and Song 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. Canals were built through the city so that food supplies could be directly transported from the food-productive Yangtze plain to the farthest southwestern point of the empire.

In 1921, Guilin became one of the headquarters of the Northern Expeditionary Army led by Dr. Sun Yat-sen.

In 1940, the city acquired its present name. In 1981, this ancient city was listed by the State Council as one of the four cities (the other three being Beijing, Hangzhou and Suzhou) where the protection of historical and cultural heritage, as well as natural scenery, should be treated as a priority project.

Physical setting
Elephant Trunk Hill, the Symbol of Guilin

Area: 27,809 km² Subtropical region Typical karst formation Mountains: Diecai Hill (叠彩山), Elephant Trunk Hill (象鼻山), Seven-Star Cave (七星岩), Wave-Subduing Hill (伏波山), Lipu Mountains and Yaoshan Mountains Rivers: Lijiang






Reed Flute Cave, Reed Flute Park, some of Guillin's best scenery



Attractions
The Jingjiang Princes City is a royal complex dating from the Ming Dynasty that lies near the center of modern Guilin.

Other scenic spots around Guilin include:

Seven Star Park Seven-Star Cave and Ludi (Reed-Flute) Cave Camel Mountain and Elephant Trunk Hill Piled Festoon Hill Crescent Hill Fubo Hill Nanxi Hill Erlang Gorge Huangbu (Yellow Cloth) Beach Moon Hill