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In ], this ancient city was listed by the ] as one of the four cities (the other three being ], ] and ]) where the protection of historical and cultural heritage, as well as natural scenery, should be treated as a priority project. | In ], this ancient city was listed by the ] as one of the four cities (the other three being ], ] and ]) where the protection of historical and cultural heritage, as well as natural scenery, should be treated as a priority project. | ||
''See also'': | ''See also'': | ||
==Neighboring ]== | ==Neighboring ]== |
Revision as of 05:54, 7 September 2003
Guilin(桂林 pinyin: gui1 lin2) is China's most picturesque city, situated northeast of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on the west bank of the beautiful Li River.
History
190,000,000 years ago, the area around present-day Guilin was water, part of an ancient sea. Due to the movement of the Earth's crust, the sea floor eventually rose and became dry land.
In 314 BC, the city of Guilin was founded in the Qin Dynasty as a small settlement along the banks of the Li River.
In 111 BC, during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Guilin was named Shi An County.
Guilin prospered in the Tang and Song Dynasties and became the political, economic and cultural centre of Guangxi. The city was also a nexus between the central government and the southwest border, and it was where regular armies were placed to guard that border. Canals were built through the city so that food supplies could be directly transported from the food-productive Yangzi plain to the farthest southwestern point of the empire.
During the Ming Dynasty, Guilin became the capital of Guangxi, due to its immense role in the province.
In 1914, Nanning, another center of the province and a heroic city with more than 1,600 years of history, replaced Guilin as the provincial capital.
In 1921, Guilin became one of the headquarters of the Northern Expeditionary Army led by Dr. Sun Yat-sen.
In 1940, the city acquired its present name.
In 1981, this ancient city was listed by the State Council as one of the four cities (the other three being Beijing, Hangzhou and Suzhou) where the protection of historical and cultural heritage, as well as natural scenery, should be treated as a priority project.
See also: The Clintons in Guilin
Neighboring Provinces
Yunnan, Guizhou, Hunan and Guangdong
Physical Setting
- Area: 27,809 sq km
- Subtropical region
- Typical karst formation
- Mountains: Diecai Hill, Elephant Trunk Hill, Seven-star Cave, Wave-subduing Hill, Lipu Mountain and Yaoshan Mountain
- Rivers: Li River
People
- Population: 1.34 million
- Urban population: 600,000
- Ethnic groups: Zhuang, Yao, Hui, Miao, Han and Dong
Climate
- Damp monsoon climate
- Warm and rainy
- Plenty of sunshine and clear division of the four seasons
- Average temperature: 19°C annually
Products
pharmaceutical goods, tires, machinery, fertilizers, silk, perfume, wine, tea, cinnamon, herbal medicine, Shatian Pomelo, summer orange, fructus momordicae, gingko, moon persimmon, Lipu Tara, Sanhua Alcohol, pepper sauce, fermerted bean curd, Guilin Rice Noodle, water-chestnut, grain fish and dried bean milk cream in tight rolls
Attractions
There are more than 30 noted scenic spots within the boundaries of Guilin Peak.
- Seven-Star-Rock Cave and Ludi (Reed-Flute) Cave
- Camel Mountain and Elephant Trunk Hill
- Piled Festoon Hill
- Crescent Hill
- Fubo Hill
- Nanxi Hill
- Erlang Gorge
- Huangbu (Yellow Cloth) Beach
- Moon Hill
See also: The most famous 24 Guilin scentic spots
Quotes
- "I often sent pictures of the hills of Guilin which I painted to friends back home, but few believed what they saw."
- - Fan Chengda (Chinese Song Dynasty scholar)
- 桂林山水甲天下 "Guilin’s scenery bests all others in the world."
- - popular Chinese saying
Misplaced Pages-Related Links
External Links
- Pictures of Guilin
- The relative location of Guilin in China
- Map of the Guangxi Zhang Autonomous Region (displaying the location of Guilin in the province)
- China Planner (a very informative site for those interested in visiting China)