Located in the northeastern part of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, between latitude 248 and 251 north and longitude 1095 and 1100east.
Guilin got its nam
e because it is a “forest of Sweet Osmanthus” . According to geological research, the area was an ocean in ancient times, but the limestones at the bottom of the ocean were raised by the earth’s crustal movement, and became many picturesque limestone mountains and formations. Today the city is surrounded by two rivers and four lakes, studded with shear sided Karst mountains. Guilin’s unique scenery earned its reputation as “By water, by mountains, earth’s fairest, Guilin”
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 27,809 sq.km and a population of 4.8 million, thereinto the urban area being 565 sq.km and the population 603,500.
Guilin belongs to the subtropical region and 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.
History
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 (111 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.
The county town of Yangshuo, located 65 kilometers southeast to Guilin, is an ancient city of over 1000 years, built in the Jin Dynasty (265-420).
Yangshuo is famous for a profusion of scenic hills and rivers. The Lijiang and Tianjia Rivers, which run by the town, are the two largest of the 12 rivers in the county. Peaks are so peculiar, so beautiful and so many that they are seen one after another to an incalculable extent.
Famous scenic spots in Yangshuo include Jianshan Mountain, Bilian Peak, Shutong Hill, Yangshuo Park, Chuanyan Cave, etc. A commercial street in the town is also a tourists favorite. Native products are abundant thanks to the fertile mountains and rivers. Fruits here are most famous at home and abroad including orange, tangerine, pomelo, chestnut, kumquat, etc.
Coordinates:
Guilin administers 17 county-level divisions:
- Five city districts: Xiufeng District , Xiangshan District , Diecai District , Qixing District , Yanshan District.
- Ten counties: Lingui County , Yangshuo County , Lingchuan County , Xing’an County , Quanzhou County , Yongfu County , Ziyuan County , Guanyang County , Pingle County , Lipu County .
- Two autonomous counties: Gongcheng Yao Autonomous County , Longsheng Autonomous County.
