Destination: Guilin, China

Our final days of visiting China were spent in Guilin, a city situated in south-central China. Located about 420 kilometres south of Hunan, it was the southernmost point we hit during our nine-day tour of the country, and it would also be a peaceful, nature-filled end to our time overseas. Which was what my family and I really appreciated, especially after seeing much of the mega-bustling cities like Beijing and Xi’an.

While Guilin (桂林, pronounced “gway-ling”) is a popular tourist spot for its nature, getting out into the countryside from the city proper was a different story. After flying into its airport from Xi’an (a two-hour flight, as the 1400-kilometre distance would’ve taken over 15 hours by car), we met up with our local tour guide, who immediately took us out of the airport, out of the city center, and into the countryside.

Passing through the city, we saw an abundance of construction and traffic congestion, as the city was still developing back when we were visiting. To witness the rapid development of a soon-to-be Tier 2 city was mind-boggling, as I wasn’t quite used to a “smaller” Chinese city (albeit with a population of 4.7 million) being just as chaotic as cities six times larger than it was, e.g. Beijing, Shanghai.

Given that we were in southern China in August, the heat and humidity was even more intense than what we’d experienced more north at our prior destinations, Beijing and Xi’an. The weather was especially not very forgiving in the countryside, as we walked around and explored the nature paths, whether on foot or by bike. Plenty of insects (including mosquitoes) were flying everywhere, and it was a nightmare trying not to get bitten by the lot of them– unfortunately, I failed miserably and was certainly not pleased. 😛

Despite the not-so-great first impressions, Guilin was strikingly beautiful. During our two days and two nights in the countryside, we ventured on off-road drives through the lush vegetation, as well as cycled through rural farms and sailed along the Li River. It was a huge change in pace from the city tours we’d done prior, yet we found it was a much-needed change that rejuvenated us after over a week of non-stop history and sight-seeing.

Upon arriving into Guilin, our local guide took us to our first stop, which was the Reed Flute Cave. It’s a limestone cave that dates back over 180 million years, with tons of hauntingly-gorgeous rock formations that glow purple, blue, even pink in the artificial light. Stepping inside the cave feels as if you’ve stepped into one of those computer screensavers (i.e. the one with colorful ribbons that zoom across the black screen), or at least into another planet.

We spent part of the afternoon touring the Reed Flute Cave. Our local guide explained not just the topography of the cave, but also how people who’ve discovered the limestone formations used their creativity to name notable landmarks inside. He even asked us to use our own imagination to recognize figures like “Mushroom” or “Headfirst fish,” which was a fun challenge in itself. We ended our tour at the lake, where we could see plenty of the glowing limestone in all of their luminosity. Truly, it was the highlight of our visit of the cave, let alone Guilin overall.

The rest of the afternoon was spent on a tranquil raft ride along the Li River. I hadn’t ridden on a raft before, and I was afraid that it would tip over as we ambled through the waters– fortunately, it didn’t! The ride didn’t feel fast-paced or rushed at all, as we were able to sit back, relax, and take in the sweeping green hills and rural farm fields in the distance.

My family and I attended a traditional folk performance that evening, right before dinner. It was called the “Third Sister of Liu,” and it told the story of, literally, the third sister of the Liu family who was born with a beautiful singing voice. There was a nobleman who attempted to court her, in order to become his concubine. When she refused, he threatened to kill her and as a result, she fled with her lover– they turned into larks and flew away, freed from the constraints of the human world. Although I’m not much for traditional folk stories (especially after growing up with cheesy, traditional Chinese soap operas), I found the play poignant and entertaining, and it was a good segue to our dinner for that night.

Our dinner, which was that of Guilin cuisine, was different from what we had before. It was a primarily rice-based meal, as the South is home to tons of rice paddies, more common than in the North, thanks to warmer temperatures to grow the grains. That said, dishes like rice noodles (米粉) and rice flour cake (發粿) are recommendations to try out while in the region.

We had a half day left in Guilin the next morning, and we spent the time on a bike ride through several rural farms. Now, I hadn’t ridden a bike in years prior to that, so I was very rusty as we cycled on the bumpy, dirt roads. I was so shaky that at one point, I swerved too quickly and crashed into a nearby bush! My chin and hands were a little scraped, but otherwise no major damage was done. Regardless, we continued our bike ride, and we ended it with a stop at a farmer’s home where we were served fresh fruits and peanuts. It was then a matter of returning to our hotel, thereby ending our stay in Guilin, as well as China.

Overall, Guilin was the perfect end to our trip in China. Trading urban scenery for nature was refreshing, as we were able to slow down and appreciate the natural beauty of the country. It was a whirlwind of a time in cities like Beijing, Xi’an, and Guilin, but it was also incredibly enlightening, for I got to really learn about the history, language, and culture of my ancestral home, and to connect with them all even more. This first trip to China would foreshadow a second trip we would take just a couple of years later, and that is to be shared in the near future.

Feel free to continue following my adventures in China in future posts. More are coming very soon!

 

— Rebecca