GuilinCity in China
Guilin, formerly romanized as Kweilin, is a prefecture-level city in the northeast of China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. It is situated on the west bank of the Li River and borders Hunan to the north. 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 scenery of karst topography and is one of China's most popular tourist destinations.
Fascinating limestone hills and towers lure tourists from China and around the world to this city of 630,000. Popular sights include 120-hectare Seven Star Park, Reed Flute Cave, 200-foot high Fubo Hill and the much-loved Elephant Trunk Hill. Guilin is very popular as a starting point for Li River cruises to Yangshuo and for visits to the nearby minority villages of Yao, Miao and Dong. April, May, September and October are the best months to visit, as they avoid the extremes of heat and rain.
