By rail
Guilin North or Yangshuo, high-speed rail from Guangzhou, ~2.5 h
East Asia · China
Guilin, China
Karst peaks along the Li River
Getting there
By air
Guilin Liangjiang (KWL), ~30 km
Best time to visit
April to October — green and full; autumn is clearest
Don't miss
The Li River
The Reed Flute Cave
Elephant Trunk Hill
The Longji Rice Terraces
Things to do
A Li River cruise to Yangshuo
Bamboo rafting on the Yulong
Cycling among the peaks
The Longji rice terraces
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: Halaston · CC BY-SA 4.0
What to pack
Rain gear, sandals
A quieter corner
Xianggong Hill at sunrise over the river
Questions travellers ask
Which months are best for Guilin?
April to October, when it's green and full, with autumn the clearest time. Pack rain gear and sandals.
What's the best way to see the Li River?
Take a Li River cruise to Yangshuo, or go bamboo rafting on the Yulong and cycle among the peaks.
Can I reach Guilin by high-speed rail?
Yes — from Guangzhou it's around 2.5 hours to Guilin North or Yangshuo. Guilin Liangjiang airport (KWL) is about 30 km out.
Where can I watch the sunrise near Guilin?
From Xianggong Hill, over the river.
About Guilin
- Riverside
- Hills
Where it is
Guilin lies in the north-east of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China, on the Li River among steep limestone karst peaks, with the town of Yangshuo downstream to the south.
History
The Lingqu Canal, dug near Guilin under the Qin dynasty in the 3rd century BC, linked the Yangtze and Pearl river systems and made the area a gateway to the south. For centuries poets and painters celebrated its landscape, and the city was long the provincial capital of Guangxi.
People
Guilin's people speak Mandarin and the Guilin dialect, and the region is home to Zhuang, Yao, Miao and Dong communities; the Longji terraces were carved by Zhuang and Yao farmers. Fishermen on the Li River once fished with trained cormorants, a tradition that survives largely as a spectacle for visitors.
Known for
- The Li River cruise to Yangshuo
- Karst peaks above rice fields
- The Reed Flute Cave
- The Longji Rice Terraces
- Guilin rice noodles
Did you know?
The karst peaks around Guilin form part of the South China Karst, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to which the Guilin area was added in 2014.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.