Come - Guilin

I have been anticipating my trip to Guilin for quite some time now. I’ve heard so much about the beauty of the landscape and I have to admit that everyone was right. As I looked out the window on our bus ride from the airport to the city, the fields of green and the dramatic karsts in the distance were like a Chinese painting. Our tour guide, Joe, took us to see Fubo Park at sunset because we were originally planning to visit the park the next day but he warned us that with all the tourists and the afternoon sun, we would be sweating buckets. It didn’t really matter though because even at dusk, Guilin has the hottest and most humid weather I have experienced since I arrived in China. I thought Shanghai was bad, but it has nothing on the heat in Guilin. We climbed up Fubo Park and my T-shirt was drenched in sweat. However, the trek was worth it because the view from the top of the hill was absolutely amazing. I have never seen such a beautiful sky because it was shades of pink and blue with the sun just peaking behind the clouds. The city also has height restrictions on all buildings to preserve the views of the landscape, so the buildings never spoil the scene.

While in Guilin, we stayed at the Guilin Park Hotel that was lit beautifully at night. It was also located next to a lake so the wash of color illuminated the trees and bridges that surrounded the hotel. Joe warned us that a typhoon might hit tomorrow so we thought we should better explore the city at night because it might be pouring rain the next day. Once again, the temperatures never dipped at night so we walked along the lake covered in perspiration. I’m just glad that China invests heavily into landscaping because if it wasn’t for the exquisite landscape, I would have spent the night in the hotel with the air conditioning blasting.

I was extremely excited for the next day because we took a cruise down the Li River. The natural setting of the clear river and the imposing karsts was just spectacular. You just feel so small as you float down one of the most naturally beautiful places in the world. We also met a cool old guy from Tokyo, who taught sociology in Columbia and NYU. He was in Guilin for a family reunion and was so kind and thoughtful. He was definitely an interesting seatmate and made the trip feel even more surreal. The only bad thing about the boat ride was the food, because the combination of bad food and the rocking of the boat made my stomach feel slightly queasy.

We moved on to the Reed Flute Cave after the boat ride. This was my mom’s favorite attraction of all the sites we have visited in China and she is still in disbelief about the beauty of the cave. This place definitely captures your imagination because there are so many rock formations that look like objects including lions, owls, goldfishes, broccoli, flowers, and even a stage curtain. For a natural environment, the site had amazing lighting that highlighted the intricacy of the formations and stone pathways were laid so you can explore the cave safely. The best part about the cave was the fact that it was dark and approximately 18°C, so finally I was able to beat the heat in Guilin.