Guilin 3-Day Essence Tour
Guilin Icon: Elephant Trunk Hill + Li River Cruise + Yangshuo West Street
Day-by-Day Itinerary
1
Elephant Trunk Hill Scenic Area → Sun and Moon Pagodas → Jingjiang Prince's Palace
Elephant Trunk Hill Scenic Area
Elephant Trunk Hill Scenic Area is the emblem of Guilin and a symbol of Guilin's landscape. It is named for its mountain shape resembling a giant elephant drinking water from the river. The mountain is composed of limestone formed 360 million years ago, and the miraculous craftsmanship of nature has created this unique landscape. There is a round cave running through the mountain from north to south, which is called "Water Moon Cave" because of its shape resembling the moon in the water, and it is an excellent location for viewing the night moon over the Li River. Elephant Trunk Hill intersects with the surrounding Peach Blossom River and Li River, forming a beautiful picture.
Sun and Moon Twin Towers
The Sun and Moon Twin Towers are located in Guilin, Guangxi, China, and are twin pagodas. They were originally built in the moat of Guilin during the Tang Dynasty and rebuilt in 2001 based on historical records as the core scenic spot of the Sun and Moon Twin Towers Cultural Park. The park is themed on the unity of Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. The Moon Tower is built on an island in Shan Lake, while the Sun Tower is built in the lake. The Sun Tower has an octagonal base, is covered with bronze, has nine floors, and is 41 meters (135 feet) high. The Sun Tower is the tallest bronze tower in the world and one of the few pagodas in the world with an elevator. The Moon Tower also has an octagonal base, is covered with glazed tiles, has seven floors, and is 35 meters (115 feet) high. They appeared as the ninth pit stop in the fourteenth season of The Amazing Race in 2009.
Jingjiang Prince City & Duxiu Peak
Jingjiang Prince City (also known as Jingjiang Prince Mansion), commonly known as the Prince City, is located in Guilin City and was built between 1372 and 1392 during the Ming Dynasty, near Duxiu Peak. It was originally the residence of Zhu Shouqian, the grand-nephew of Zhu Yuanzhang. Zhu Shouqian was granted the title of Prince Jingjiang by Zhu Yuanzhang, and his palace was established in Jingjiang. The Prince City took more than 20 years to build and has a history of more than 630 years, making it older than the Forbidden City in Beijing. From the completion of the Prince Mansion to the end of the Ming Dynasty, a period of 257 years, 12 generations of 14 princes resided here. Sun Yat-sen stayed here during the Northern Expedition in 1921. In the winter of 1925, it was converted into Zhongshan Park and is now a campus of Guangxi Normal University. The carved railings and marble steps of the Prince Mansion are still well preserved. In its 600-year history, the Prince City has been burned down many times, but it remains the best-preserved Prince City in China. Notably, the carved railings and marble steps still exist. The Chinese government designated the site as a national key cultural relics protection unit in 1993. Today, the site is occupied by Guangxi Normal University but remains open to the public as a tourist attraction, combining Guilin's natural environment, history, traditional architecture, and local culture. Jingjiang Prince City is magnificent, with grand city walls, and was once the "inner city" where the princes and their families lived. There are 4 halls, 4 pavilions, and 40 other buildings around the main building. The total area is 19.78 hectares (0.08 square miles). The layout of the Prince Mansion, from south to north, is: Mausoleum, Chengyun Hall, and Chengyun Gate; from east to west, is: Altar of Land and Grain and Ancestral Temple. Other buildings are built around the main building. All the buildings in Jingjiang Prince City are decorated with red walls and yellow tiles, which is a typical color scheme for Chinese palaces. There is a 1500-meter (4900 ft) long city wall, built with square bluestones. The city wall is 557.5 meters (1829 ft) long from north to south and 336 meters (1102 ft) wide from east to west. The city wall is 7.92 meters (26.0 ft) high and 5.5 meters (18 ft) thick. There are four gates in four directions, named "Tiren" (East Gate), "Duanli" (Zhengyang Gate), "Zunyi" (West Gate), and "Guangzhi" (Hougong Gate). The layout inside the city strictly follows the regulations of the Ming Dynasty. All buildings are arranged along the axis of Duxiu Peak, from south to north: Duanli Gate (entrance gate), Chengyun Gate (palace gate), Chengyun Hall (administrative building), bedroom, imperial garden, and Guangzhi Gate (back gate). The auxiliary buildings on both sides of the axis are symmetrically distributed. The local government is committed to combining Guilin's natural environment, history, traditional architecture, and local culture. Now it is a tourist destination. Duxiu Peak is located in Jingjiang Prince City, adjacent to the Li River. It is a tourist attraction featuring Duxiu Peak and covering the entire Jingjiang Prince City. It perfectly combines natural scenery and historical sites and has been known as the "city within a city" since ancient times. Jingjiang Prince City Scenic Area is the highest-level tourist resource in Guilin.
2
Li River Scenic Area (premium cruise) → Xingping Ancient Town (20-yuan note backdrop) → Yangshuo West Street
Li River Scenic Area
The Li River originates in Xing'an County, Guilin City, and is a tributary of the Xijiang River in the Pearl River system. The 83-kilometer water journey from Guilin to Yangshuo is the most essential section of the Li River, known as the "Hundred-Mile Gallery". Along the way, there are famous attractions such as Elephant Trunk Hill, Nine Horses Fresco Hill, and Yellow Cloth Shoal Reflection, making it a world-renowned scenic tourist destination.
Xingping Ancient Town
Xingping Ancient Town is one of the oldest towns along the Li River, with a history of over 1700 years. It is known for its well-preserved traditional architecture, unique karst landforms, and as the location featured on the back of the 20 RMB note. It is an important hub for exploring the stunning scenery of the Li River, where visitors can experience the rustic fishing village charm and beautiful landscape paintings.
Yangshuo West Street
Yangshuo West Street, located in Yangshuo County, Guilin City, is an ancient street with a history of more than 1400 years. It is famous for its unique karst landforms, Li River scenery, and the integration of Chinese and Western cultures. West Street is the core of Yangshuo tourism, attracting a large number of domestic and foreign tourists. Chinese and English signs can be seen everywhere on the street, and many locals can speak some English. It not only has a rich history and culture, but also many climbing spots, such as Moon Hill, Low Mountain, Shuangmen, Frog, Egg, Bamboo Forest and Wine Bottle Cliff. At the same time, West Street is also a vibrant commercial street with a variety of shops, restaurants and bars, making it an ideal place to experience Yangshuo's nightlife.
3
Ten-Mile Gallery (cycling) → Yulong River (bamboo rafting)
Ten-Mile Gallery
The Guilin Yangshuo Ten-Mile Gallery is located at Moon Hill in Yangshuo. It is called the Yangshuo Ten-Mile Gallery because of its beautiful scenery along the way, like a poem or a painting. The main attractions include Moon Hill, Big Banyan Tree, Totem Ancient Trail, Butterfly Spring, Jianshan Temple, etc. It is a good place for cycling and sightseeing.
Yulong River Scenic Area
Yulong River Scenic Area is located in Yangshuo County, Guilin City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, and is the longest tributary of the Li River in Yangshuo. It is known as the "Little Li River" for its beautiful natural scenery and unique pastoral landscape. The river is crystal clear, surrounded by green hills on both sides, reflected by verdant bamboo, and dotted with rice fields and orchards, forming beautiful Chinese landscape paintings. There are no motorized boats on the Yulong River. Tourists mainly enjoy the scenery along the way by taking bamboo rafts, experiencing tranquility and leisure. In addition, cycling along the river is also a popular activity, allowing you to deeply experience the local rural life and customs. This is an excellent place to relax and get close to nature.
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