City boasts natural beauty, fascinating history and culture

The tourist mecca of Guilin has been renowned for its beautiful landscapes since ancient times.

Located in the northeast of Guangxi, it has been an important regional political, military, cultural and transportation center of South China.

The city covers an area of 27,800 square kilometers and has a population of 5.22 million. Six ethnic groups have made up the city's population for generations - the Han, Miao, Yao, Dong, Zhuang and Hui.

The forest coverage rate in Guilin is more than 60 percent; nearly three times the national average in China.

Guilin displays spectacular tower karst and internationally acclaimed river landscapes and is part of the South China Karst property on UNESCO's World Heritage List.

The Lijiang River, which has a 50-km section that runs through Guilin, is not only an important waterway but also an ideal combination of views of karst peaks, waterways and boulders.

CNN has praised the Lijiang as one of the 15 most beautiful rivers in the world.

The mountains that flank the river contain more than 3,000 inscriptions made by famous scholars and artists since the Song Dynasty (960-1279).

The central authority has attached great importance to the environmental protection of the river since 1980.

Guilin is one of the first cities in China to have an environmental protection department.

Guilin is also home to typical Danxia landforms, which are a unique form found only in China. A Danxia landform is formed from red sandstone and conglomerates of largely Cretaceous age, which has been eroded over time.

The rugged rock formations display a range of colors and The Guardian newspaper featured them in a photo gallery in 2013, referring to them as "China's rainbow mountains".

The city also has magnificent mountains in its north.

The highest is Maoer Mountain, which at 2,142 meters above sea level, is known as the No. 1 peak in South China.

Culture and history

Many people compare Guilin to a charming woman but may not know that her charm also comes from her culture and history, and not only her looks.

Guilin's history dates back to 214 BC, when the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC) set up Guilin prefecture to govern the whole of South China, after he unified the country for the first time in Chinese history.

The construction of Guilin city started from 111 BC, when the first emperor of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24) reinforced the Qin focus on Guilin.

One of the most important heritage items is the Lingqu Canal, which is still in use today.

The canal was built at the same time as the Qin Dynasty's Great Wall.

The Lingqu connects the upper reach of the Xiangjiang River, a branch of the Yangtze River, with the upper reach of the Lijiang River, a branch of the Pearl River.

The canal was first built as a military project to transport troops and supplies from the north to the south. Later, it became an important commercial transportation waterway for the country, and has remained so for the past 2,000 years.

Jingjiang Prince City, an old city encircled by a ring of solid stonewalls, occupies the center of modern-day Guilin. Its meaning to the city is similar to that of the Forbidden City to Beijing.

Jingjiang Prince City is 34 years older than the Forbidden City, and is not only well preserved, but also home to local residents, schools and government departments. Compared with the Forbidden City, which has become a tourist spot, Jiangjiang Prince City is still a vital part of Guilin's everyday life.

The suburbs of Guilin also house some ancient villages, whose architecture and ways of life have been well protected. Nearby these villages are several former residences of famous statesmen during China's recent history, including Li Zongren, a Chinese Nationalist general and political leader; and Bai Chongxi, a former chief of staff for the Chinese Nationalist Party's army.

During World War II, Guilin was a military stronghold against the invading Japanese imperial army.

The battles in Guilin were recorded as the most difficult in China in many Japanese soldiers' diaries. The US Air Force built two airports in Guilin to fight the Japanese and many fighter jets protecting South China cities and most bombers attacking Japan's military bases in Taiwan and Hong Kong took off from Guilin.

Li Ziyu contributed to this story.

liyang@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 05/28/2015 page6)