31/05/08 to 14/6/08 Rashmi Rastogi
Day 9: 8/06/08
Guilin China
Reached Guilin from Xian. Reached Guilin an hour and a half later. Guilin is a beautiful city. Hilly, small town - about 500,000 local people. More tourists than local people. 2 – 3 million tourists visit Guilin each year. (reminds one of Kashmir tourism). There are 56 minority communities. Yao is a minority community to which our local Guide belonged. From the airport itself went to see the Reed Flute caves. Excellent caves. (details given below).
Guilin is famous for its unique scenery both to China and to the rest of the world. Actually the landscape of China - at least that most westerners have of it – is the landscape of Guilin. Characteristics of Guilin scenery are its oddly shaped solitary hills rising out of flat ground, crystal waters winding through the region, intricate caves in various shapes and exquisite stones. Yangshuo country is enhanced by a beautiful natural landscape. Hence the saying “The landscape of Yangshuo is unmatched in Guilin”.
Reed Flute Cave
First of all we went to see the Reed Flute Cave. Located 5 kms northwest of Guilin city, the reed flute cave is in fact a cave on the southern shoulder of the Guangmill Hill (Bright Hill). It got its name by the reeds used for making flutes and pipes growing at its entrance. The cave is regarded as the largest and most impressive cave in Guilin city. The cave is 240 meters long , whereas the touring distance is about 550 meters mainly offering a magic fairyland of stalactites, stalagmites, stone pillars, stone curtains, birds, plants and animals in fantastic shapes and colors. One grotto called the Crystal Palace of the Dragon King, can hold about 1000 people. During the war, the grotto once served as an air-raid shelter. Over 70 wall inscriptions from the Tang Dynasty (618-907) were found in the walls, suggesting that the cave has once been visited by people in every dynasty. The highlight in this cave is a great slab of white rock hanging from a ledge like a cataract, with a human-shaped stalactite opposite it. The Reed Flute Caves were very very impressive indeed. We felt that these , too, must be included in the World Heritage sites.
After Chinese / Indian dinner (the restaurateur is being taught / coaxed to prepare Indian meal, which he has succeeded to a great extent. It was Ram’s (my husband’s) birthday , 8th June. The food was good.
After dinner, we headed to the Herbal University for a foot massage. It lasted 45-50 minutes and was very relaxing indeed ! Did a little shoulder massage as well.
Day 10: 9th June 2008 (Guilin contd)
Today we enjoyed the Li River cruise which commenced at 9.30 am.
Lijiang river originates from Cat Mountain in Xing’an County in the North of Guilin. It flows 437 kilometers down Guilin, Yangshou, Pingle and Wuzhou into the West River. Between Guilin and Yangshou, Lijiang river travels 83 kilometers exactly like a jade ribbon winding among thousands of grotesque peaks. Along the river banks are the spectacular landscapes and elegant hills, the towering peaks, the variegated cliffs and odd-shaped crags reflected in the mirror of its crystal-clear water and the wonderful deep pools, running springs and flying waterfalls everywhere. The reflections of the hills in clear and greenish water are like bright and beautiful pictures. “One hundred miles Lijiang River is like one hundred miles art gallery.” A lot of excellent poems and literary works in modern or ancient appreciate her beauty. Han Yu, a great poet in Tang Dynasty, had written a popular poem to praise the beautiful scenery of Lijiang River. “The river winds like a blue silk ribbon, while the hills erect like green jade hairpins.” A famous Chinese poet described the region this way, about 1,200 years ago: “ The river forms a green silk belt, the mountains are like blue jade hairpins.” The karst formations were thrust up from the limestone seabed, which covers centuries by the areas unique wind and water conditions. This ‘stone forest ‘ with its subterranean caves and rivers, creates a haunting atmosphere. The Li River, the main river in this area, winds through the rising and falling hills and peaks like a coloured silk ribbon. A cruise on the river brings visitors in touch with the unique scenery around Guilin, which is considered to be a fine art gallery as natural scenic wonders unfold on both banks of the river. Guilin is always a highlight of your China tours.
Li River, Guilin
On our way to the Li river , we passed the Elephant trunk Hill, Pagoda Hill. The Elephant Trunk Hill is situated majestically at the southeast of Guilin city and west bank of Li river. Elephant trunk Hill is regarded as the symbol of Guilin landscape. Originally named Li Hill, Yi Hill and Chenshui Hill , the hill has a history of 3.6 hundred million years. Resembling an elephant, leisurely sucking water from the river with its long trunk, this hill has been famous as Elephant Trunk Hill for hundreds of years.
We took the 4 hours river cruise on the Li river at Zujiang Wharf upto Yangshuo county, a distance of 83 kilometers covered in approx. 4 hours. The cruise was undoubtedly a feast for the eyes and a soothing tonic for the mind and intellect. Lunch was served on the cruise. It was a bland Chinese Lunch, nothing much to talk about. Beer was free. However, one had to pay for soft drinks and water. I tried a little beer but could not drink and passed it over to Ram.
To enjoy the scenery enroute, one has to indulge in imagination to locate these various landmark hills on the way. We saw various hills such as:
i. yearning for husband rock (it is named because it looks like a woman
carrying her baby and yearning for her husband’s return).
ii. Caoping scenary: beautiful scenery of hills on both sides.
iii. Beauty of Crown Cave: it resembles as an ancient Chinese crown in purple and golden color. It brings you to a fairyland.
iv. The painted Nine Horses (Painted cliff). The massive cliff presents a magic Chinese painting “Nine Horses”.
v. Xingping Town- The beautiful landscapes surrounding Xingping make this ancient town as fairyland.
vi. Five fingers Hill make the night scenery of the river fascinating.
The cruise was wonderful indeed ! Memories of the cruise lingering in our minds.
We were given a memento when we disembarked the cruise.
Other place of interest is Piled Festoon Hill. Located by the Li River north of Guilin, Piled Festoon Hill is so named because it has eroded on all sides exposing the strata and creating the impression of piles of silk. The Hill consists of Yuyue Hill, Siwang Hill, Crane Peak and at 223 meters , the tallest Bright moon peak. The site has been a tourist attraction for over 1,000 years and the tourists come to enjoy the many inscriptions and Buddhists sculptures mostly dating from the Sui and Tang Dynasties (518-907 AD). Some of the damages to these historical relics is a legacy of more recent Chinese history. The Cultural Revolution.
Guilin has an excellent pearl factory which we visited and also purchased pearl earrings. In China one has to bargain a lot to ensure that you get value for your money.
From Guilin, we left for Shenzen, our next halt.
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