Guilin and Yangshuo Town, China: There's Paradise in Them There Hills!

If you happen to find yourself in southeastern China, definitely make your way to Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and visit the cities of Guilin and Yangshuo Town.  As is the case with EVERY city I have visited in China thus far, the Chinese folks who I spoke with prior to visiting insisted that these were very small cities yet, upon arrival, I was once again shocked by the size and population of both.  I visited Guilin first and although it clearly is not as large as cities like Shanghai, Beijing, or even Guangzhou, it is a bustling, highly active, city filled with tourists and residents.  It lacks the sky-scraping office and apartment buildings but mid-sized buildings (up to approximately 30 floors) are present everywhere.  Its downtown area is filled with stores, restaurants, and other retail shops that all seem to be open at all times regardless of the day (Sundays, too).  Yangshuo Town, on the other hand, is truly a small city.  Here's a view from a local TV tower that clearly shows its small size:

It is filled mostly by tourists from other Chinese cities (especially during the summer months).  It has great walking or pedestrian only (with a few moped riders) areas where you will find wonderful crafts and other items from local vendors.  The Yangshuo area is home to many of the minority peoples from China so it is easy to find colorful remnants of their clothing and other items used in their daily lives.  Here's a shop on Yangshuo Town's famous West Street that sold many of these items:

But the most amazing thing about this area is the natural beauty of its landscape.  The topography is called Karst topography due to the manner in which it was formed thousands of years ago.  Basically it means that the land has THOUSANDS of mountains rising steeply out of very flat terrain.  You literally see mountains in every direction regardless of your location in this area.  They are all covered with lush green trees and plants and the contrast of their steep inclines with the perfectly flat land is breathtaking.  Many of the trees are Osmanthus trees, in fact, the name Guilin translates into Osmanthus tree forest.  These trees produce wonderfully fragrant flowers which make a delightful tea (definitely get some when you visit)!  Check out these views:

There are approximately 20,000 of these mountains rising from the Earth and they combine with its rivers to make this landscape as beautiful as any other.  In addition to the mountains, the area is home to more than 3,000 caves.  The most famous, and the largest, is the Silver Cave.  Tourists may meander through Silver Cave's 2 kilometer walkway enjoying its natural wonders.  Check out these pics (the cave does have some colorful lighting added to enhance the effect):

There's one more thing that you MUST do when visiting Guilin/Yangshuo Town.  Be sure to see the Impressions Liu Sanjie outdoor light show.  It plays at least twice per night (there were 3 times on the evening we went) at an outdoor theater in Yangshuo Town.  It was created by Zhang Yimou - the artistic genius who created the spectacular Opening Ceremonies show at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.  Ticket prices range from 120-350 yuan (about $20-$56) and the more expensive seats provide a more complete view of the show.  Trust me, you should spend the extra cash to get the better seat.  You will be happy that you did.  Here's a sneak peek video clip:

So that's my take on the Guilin/Yangshuo Town area.  Definitely earns a "must-see" score in my book!  It is truly a paradise on Earth!

Power to the Purple!  Happy Travels!