 |
| Introduction |
The
scenery of Guilin has been called the finest under heaven.
Situated in the northeast of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region,
Guilin City is South China's shining pearl , with verdant
mountains , elegant waters , magnificent crags and fantastic
caverns. It has a total area of 2,000 sq.km. and a population
of 680.000 (the urban area being 54 sq.km. and the population
300,000).
Guilin has a history of more than 2,000
years.In the 6th year of Yuanding During the reign of Emperor
Wu of the Han Dynasty ( 1 1 1 BC), Guilin was a county, called
Shi An County, and from the Song Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty,
it was the political, economic and cultural centre of Guangxi.
In 1921,the North Expeditionary Army led by Sun Zhongshan (Dr.
Sun Yat-sen) joined forces In Guilin,and the headquarters was
sited in the Royal Palace at the foot Of the Solitary Beauty
Peak. The city acquired its present name in the year of 1940.
Belonging to the subtropical region,Guilin
enjoys a Mild climate with sufficient rainfall. Its yearly
average temperature is 18.8'C, and the hottest month, August,
has an average temperature of 28'C, while the coldest months,
which are January and February are 8'C on the average. Du Fu,a
very famous poet of Tang Dynasty so said of its climate: "When
it is scorchingly hot everywhere in the Five Ridges, only
Guilin has temperate weather." Guilin was
originally a vast expanse of sea until about one hundred and
ninety million years ago, when, owing to the movement of the
earth crust, the whole area rose and became land. The
Limestone, weathered and eroded by water, became today's
fantastic stone forests, peaks, underground streams and caves,
thus giving unique features to Guilin's
scenery. |
|
The mountains In Guilin, rising abruptly
from the ground, stand In various stately shapes. Moreover.
they have in them a great number of colourful caves. These
mountains with strangely-shaped peaks and caves of unique
formation, together with the crystal-clear rivers that surround
the city, characterize Guilin's scenery and have brought it
world fame.
Lijiang River, a picturesque river well known
both at home and abroad, is at its most beautiful starting
from Guilin to Yangshuo, distancing 83 km.. Winding her
way amidst the mountains and through villages. the Lijiang
River adds a great charm to the picture-like landscape of
Guilin, where people can see mountains with fantastic peaks,
green and clear waters, and festoon-like fields.
Guilin also abounds in historical relics. Stone carving
alone amounts to approximately 2,000 pieces. Of all the scenic
spots in the city, Pu Tuo Hill, Crescent Moon Hill and Folded
Brocade Hill possess the greatest number of these carvings.
But crowning all is the Dragon Refuge Cave, which, as It Is
lined with stelae, is properly called "Guilin Stelae Forest".
As a tourist destination second to none in China, Guilin will
surely continue to attract ever more visitors from home and
abroad.
| | |
.gif){kind=small}
