Places of Interest - Guilin and Yang Shuo

2007年03月16日 15:58:00

Places of Interest - Guilin and Yang Shuo

• Guilin
• Yang Shuo

Guilin

"I often sent pictures of the hills of Guilin which I painted to friends back home, but few believed what they saw". The writer was the Song-Dynasty scholar Fan Chengda and his comments show that the scenery of Guilin (formerly spelt Kweilin) has been attracting and astonishing visitors for many centuries. It has also been the inspiration for classical Chinese landscapes of fantastically-shaped peaks, studded with pines and small pavilions, partly shrouded in mist.

Geologically the peaks are pure limestone that has been eroded into strange formations over millions of years. The result is known as a karst landscape, which can also be found in Yugoslavia and Phuket.

Here in Guilin the peaks are everywhere you turn, dominating every skyline, parading along the river and suddenly appearing at a downtown intersection. In terms of sights they have no competition.

Within the city the most distinctive hill is shaped like an elephant with its trunk in the river. You can take a bamboo raft through the halfmoon archway under Elephant Trunk Hill, or take pictures of the fisherman with their trained cormorants against the backdrop of the hill, which is crowned with the 16th century Samantabhadra Pagoda.

The best hills for climbing are found in the north of the city. Fubo Hill rises from the banks of the river and offers superb views from its summit, while halfway up is a huge cooking pot and a bell weighing two and a half tons. In the base of Fubo is the Returned Pearl Cave with 300 Buddhist carvings on its walls. The neighboring Diecaishan (Hill of Many Colors) also has steps to the tope and a cave below, containing Buddhist statues.

On the south side of the river is the Seven Star Park, which encompasses seven hills of weirdly wonderful shapes. They contain viewing pavilions and a network of caves. Also in the park is a zoo, a collection of cared steles, a bonsai gardens and some attractive restaurants.

The Li River, which runs through the center of Guilin, is a complementary attraction to the peaks. It is a setting for displays of cormorant fishing. Fishermen on bamboo rafts use strong lights suspended over the water to attract the fish. The cormorants, which are tethered with rings round the base of their necks catch the fish and then disgorge them for the fishermen (until their work is done and the rings removed so they can eat). These shows are regular features of the high season, or they can be arranged, along with riverboats for an evening's entertainment afloat.

Then there is the Li River tour, which no one should miss. Depending on the season, and level of the water, the tour boats depart from piers downstream from Guilin and disembark passengers in Yangshuo, a journey of about three hours. En route there is a fantastic parade of peaks, to which the Chinese have given descriptive names, like Wave Crag, Miller at Work Hill, White Horse Cliff and Five Tigers Catch a Goat Hill.

The number and variety of the peaks is contrasted with the river scene of the fishermen, ferries and barges. The tour boats have open top decks for watching and photographing the passing panoramas, and below lunch and drinks are served.

Yang Shuo

Yang Shuo is well worth exploring with its mid-town peaks and relaxed atmosphere. You will find a lot of backpackers at the West Street of Yang Shuo where cafes and shops open until 2 o'clock in the morning.

After visiting Yang Shuo you may head back to Guilin by road, which offers another, different aspect of the Karst landscape that seems to stretch forever like a Chinese scroll painting.

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