City Guide:Gui Lin

1.General introduction 

Guilin is a key tourist city of well-known culture and history in china . More 

people come to Guilin for a visit,deeply impressed and giving high praises. 

Guilin is situated along the Lijiang River,which is a attractive in itself.The 

beauty of water and the Karst peaks towering into the sky have attracted

travelers to this area for centuries.

Location & Climate

Location: Guilin is a world famous tourist city and the historical and cultural 

city, is located southwest Nanling Mountains, northeast of Guangxi Zhuang 

Autonomous Region, 109 ° 45'-104 ° 40 ', latitude 24 ° 18' -25 ° 41 '. 

Climate conditions: The annual average temperature is 18.9 C. In August the hottest, 

the mean temperature of 23 C, 1 Yue of the most cold month mean temperature 

of 15.6 C. The annual average frost-free period 309 days, the annual average 

rainfall is 1949.5 millimeters. The average evaporation of 1490 ~ 1905 

millimeters.Annual average relative humidity of 73 ~ 79%. Throughout the year 

winds to northerly winds dominated, with an average wind speed of 2.2 ~ 2.7 

meters / sec. Annual average sunshine time of 1670 hours. The average 

atmospheric pressure of 994.9 hPa.

Ecomomy & Industry

GDP: RMB 110.86 billion (2010)

• Per Capita Disposable Income of Urban Residents: RMB 17,949 (2010)

• Economic Growth Rate: 13.8% (2010)

• Resident Population: 4.988 million (2010)

• Unemployment Rate: 3.95% (2010)

• Enrollment Rate for Children of School Age: 99.5% (2010)

• Chinese Cities Competitive Rating: 86th (2011)

• FDI: USD 21.36 million (2010)

2.Transportation

Travelers to and from Guilin city have a wide range of transport options by air, 

rail, and road. Guilin Liangjiang International Airport (KWL) connects Guilin to 

all of China' s major cities, and to a number of international destinations.

Rail

The city' s two railway stations provide direct links to Beijing, Shanghai, 

Xi' an, Kunming, Nanning, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, and also to Hanoi in Vietnam. 

The road network connects Guilin to all parts of Guangxi province, and provides 

smooth access to the major cities in the Pearl River Delta: Dongguan, Guangzhou, 

and Zhuhai.

Bus

The fare on most public buses is 1.2 RMB, with a 90 per cent discount for IC 

cards. The fare on number 98 and 99 buses is 2 RMB, as they are air-conditioned. 

There are also eight free bus lines (numbers 51 to 58) which serve major tourist 

destinations. The buses are colored red for easy recognition, and operate from 

7:00 to 19:00 every day. This is a popular service, so the buses can get very 

crowded between 8:00 and 17:00.

3. Education & Health care

Schools

Guangxi Normal University

Address:15 Yucai Lu, Guilin

Guilin Dezhe Foreign Languages School

Address:5 Wencai Lu, Guilin

Guilin Sunny School 

International schools

Address:Luandong Area, 10 Kongming Xilu, Qixing District, Guilin

Guilin Surpass Foreign Language School

Address:38 Lijiang Lu, Guilin

Guilin Surpass Foreign Language School

Address:38 Lijiang Lu, Guilin

Guilin Xiaotaiyang Bilingual Kindergarten

Kindergartens

Address:Yangjiaoshan Residential Area, 64 Putuo Lu, Qixing District, Guilin

Huimin (Hui Nationality) Primary School

Address:Longyezhoushi, 171 Minzhu Lu, Guilin

Hospitals

181st PLA Hospital (Guilin Lijiang Hospital)

Address:1 Xinqiaoyuan Lu, Guilin 

Guilin Chinese Medical Hospital

Address:2 Lingui Lu, Guilin 

Guilin Diecai Maternity Hospital

Address:1 Xiyili, Qingfeng Lu, Guilin 

Guilin Nanxishan Hospital

Address:46 Chongxin Lu, Guilin 

Guilin People' s Hospital

Address:12 Wenming Lu, Guilin 

Guilin Sino-Western Joint Hospital

Address:Guilin National Hi-tech Industry Development Zone, Guilin 

Guilin Women's and Children's Hospital

Address:20 Fengbei Lu, Guilin 

The Second People' s Hospital of Guilin

Address:2 Diecai Lu, Guilin 

The Third People' s Hospital of Guilin

Address:43 Lijun Lu, Guilin 

4.Recreation

Shopping

1) Zhengyang Pedestrian Street正阳步行街

Zhengyang Pedestrian Street is the central hub of Guilin. It’s 666 meters 

long (a very lucky number for Chinese), and is surrounded by restaurants, 

hotels, theatres, scenic spots and other commercial facilities. Along the 

street you’ll see a mix of old Chinese architecture and European colonial 

style buildings. Besides western restaurants, bars, cafes, nightclubs and 

other entertainment, you can certainly find a variety of things to buy. You’ll 

find a wide selection of jade, minority handicrafts and embroidery, textiles, 

jewelry, teapots and other souvenirs here. Just remember, bargain hard!

Zhengyang Pedestrian Street 正阳步行街

Add: Zhengyang Pedestrian Street, Xiangshan District, Guilin 

地址：桂林市象山区正阳路步行街

Getting there: take bus routes 14, 11 or 10

2) Zhongshan Zhong Lu Night Market中山中路夜市

As the sun sets on one of Guilin’s busiest streets, Zhongshan Lu, Guilin’s most 

famous night market comes alive. Beginning at 19:30 you see red tents pop up 

everywhere with vendors selling their goods. A great way to spend an evening is 

to walk around and check out all they have to offer. You’ll see plenty of local 

goods including local clothes and costumes, characteristic of the local 

ethnicities that you won’t find in other places in China. Apart from the folksy

stuff, you can pick up nearly anything under the sun (or should I say moon) like

knockoff bags, wallets, clothes and luggage. All that haggling and shopping can 

sure work up an appetite; luckily there are lots of snack stalls too providing 

you with Guilin style snacks. Make sure to bargain on anything and everything 

you see here.

Zhongshan Lu Night Market中山中路夜市Add: South-west side of the Lijiang Pubu 

Hotel, Zhongshan Zhong Lu, Guilin

地址：桂林市中山中路漓江大瀑布饭店西南侧

Opening hours: 19:30-02:00

Getting there: take bus routes14, 15, 1, 203, 21, 22, 25, 26, 31, 3 to jiefang 

xi lu walk 95m

3) Niko Niko Do Plaza 微笑堂商厦 

Niko Niko Do Plaza is located in downtown, adjacent to the central square. They 

say this is the largest shopping mall in Guangxi, so for those that are tired of 

street vendors this is the spot for you. The mall stretches from the underground 

basement, which is home to a great supermarket where you can purchase local 

specialties, to some fine restaurants on the top floor. In between you’ll find 

all kinds of quality goods to buy. Clothing, shoes, electronics, and cosmetics 

are just a small sample of the things you can buy here. Also, for your 

convenience, are many repair shops for shoes, watches etc. There’s also no 

shortage of ATMs, so you never run out of cash to spend.

Niko Niko Do Plaza 

Add: 187 Zhongshan Zhong Lu, Guilin

地址：桂林市中山中路187号

Tel: 0773 2819 449

Opening hours: 09:00-21:30

Getting there: take bus routes 10, 11, 14, 18, 206, 25, 2, 31, 57to Jiefang 

Qiao，walk179 m

4) Little Hong Kong小香港商业城 

Little Hong Kong is Guilin's largest underground commercial district, located 

directly under the city square. With a staggering total of more than 800 shops 

inside, you can spend hours and hours checking the local wares. Most of the 

items you will find here are, of course knock offs, of other famous brands. 

The quality can vary from terrible to great, so make sure to look over 

everything you buy. Needless to say by now, since it is an underground market 

dealing in mostly stolen intellectual property, make sure you bargain hard.

Little Hong Kong小香港商业城

Add: Zhongshang Zhong Lu Square Underground, Guilin

地址：桂林市中山中路中心广场地下

Opening hours: 09:00-21:00

Getting there: take bus routes 3, 10, 11, 99, 100 to Zhongshan Zhong Lu Square

Nightlife

When you're visiting Guilin, aside from taking in the city life and the nature 

scenery that surrounds, you should also dive in to the flourishing nightlife the 

city has to offer. Nightlife in Guilin is indeed full of things to do and people 

to see, the best of which are the cluster of nightclubs, bars, KTV centers 

around Li River, reflecting a kaleidoscope of colors on the waters below.

Baidu Bar. Photo: guilinlife.com

1)Baidu Bar百度酒吧 

Baidu Bar is located by the bank of the beautiful Li River. It is a venue where 

modern music elements melt with the century-old European bar culture – giving 

visitors something of a mix between a bar and a club.

The first floor is a music bar featuring slow rock and with a rich feel for the

European bar culture – a decent team of DJs and singers bring with them world 

classic songs and pop singles every night at the venue; the second floor is a 

small KTV box with sparkling décor; the third floor is the very special KTV club 

overlooking the Li River – the riverside night view right outside definitely 

adds to the whole nightlife mood. Recommended are the creative cocktail 

creations at the venue and the underground and back entrance parking lots with 

Binjiang Building are available for use to guests that drive.

Add: 18 Binjiang Lu, Guilin

地 址：桂林市滨江路18号 

Tel: 0773 288 8900

Business Hours: 20:00 – 02:00 

Transportation: Take bus routes 10, 11, 14, 18, 206, 25, 2, 31, 57 or 

Sightseeing Bus Line 1 to Jiefang Bridge station and walk for another 25 meters 

to destination

2)Yiren Bar伊人酒吧： 

Yiren Bar is a venue known for its more relaxed and quiet ambience in Guilin. 

Unlike the disco clubs that are more about making noise and being raucous, this 

venue here is rather quietly comfortable and chic – offering quite a selection 

of alcoholic beverages as well. The relaxed and smooth music, dimmed lights and 

the local guitarist and keyboardist taking requests for songs are all of the 

elements that make this an ideal place for going out with dates. There is also 

free internet service available at the venue.

Add: 27 Yiren Lu, Guilin

地址：桂林依仁路27号

Tel: 0773 282 2222

Business Hours: 19:30 – 02:30

Transportation: Take transportation 100, 11, 51, 99 to Shizi Street (Zhongxin 

Plaza) and walk for 203 meters to destination

3)Guohui KTV Center国会KTV 

Guohui KTV has a total of 48 KTV boxes, from small to deluxe. Décor at the venue 

is also designed by the best of interior designers, very grand and chic – also 

fitted with the top-of-the-line audio and video systems for a memorable karaoke 

night. There is also a designated large parking lot at the venue for those lucky 

enough to have their own cars.

Add: Guilin Cultural Palace (Exhibition Center, 3rd Floor), Guilin

地 址：桂林市文化宫展览中心三楼 

Tel: 0773 283 9898 

Business Hours: 20:00 – 02:30 

Transportation: Take bus routes 10, 18, 24, 30, 31, 57, 9 to Shizi Street (East 

Jiefang Rd) station and walk for another 72 meters to destination

Cuisine.

1) Guilin Rice Noodles 

Rice noodles or vermicelli are an important staple of the Guilin diet. The 

noodles, famous for their unique flavor and careful crafting process, come in 

soft textures, some delicate, others thick, all very tasty. They are often 

cooked with pig or beef bone and broth, and vegetable and meat choices include 

noodles with lettuce, beef belly noodles, noodles in soup, vegetable noodles, 

three treasure noodles, horse meat noodles, danzi noodles and hot and spicy 

noodles. As you can see, Guilin has vermicelli to fit any taste palate and 

budget.

Recommended:  Guilin Ren Mifen Dawang  

Add: 2F, 9 Yiren Lu (near Zhongxin Guangchang), Xiufeng District, Guilin 

地址：桂林市秀峰区依仁路9号2楼(近中心广场), 桂林人米粉大王 

Tel: 0773 2828 609

Opening hours: 10:00-14:00, 17:00-20:00

Getting there: Take bus 1, 3, 9, 11, 14, 22, 25, 26, 30, 31, 51, 57, 89, 99, 

100, 203 to Shizi Jie (十字街)

2) Beer Fish 

Beer Fish is a famous local dish from Yangshuo, Guilin. The main ingredient for 

the dish is fresh carp from the Lijiang River, but the mix of flavors used to 

prepare the fish overpowers the original fishy taste (and smell). To prepare the 

dish, the fish is fried in tea oil from the northern mountainous regions of 

Guilin. The outside of the fish is crispy and savory while the inside is soft 

and juicy.Recommended: Xie Dajie Pijiuyu  

Add: 18 Diecui Lu, Yangshuo Xian, Guilin 

地址：桂林市阳朔县叠翠路18号, 谢大姐啤酒鱼(叠翠路店 

Tel: 0773 6910 658

Getting there: Walk from Yangshuo Bus Station (阳朔汽车站)

3) Nun Noodles

Nun Noodles are often called the sister food of Guilin rice noodles. Plain, 

thin and fine, nun noodles are handmade delicacies mixed with vegetables 

and meat in savoury soups. The noodles are combined with bean sprouts, 

mushrooms or bamboo shoots in a soup and then topped with mushrooms, ham 

and other vegetables. Sesame oil is sprinkled on top of the soup along with 

fresh ingredients like peanuts and peppers.

Recommended: Yueya Lou  

Add: Qixing Gongyuan Nei, 1 Qixing Lu (near Longyin School), Lijiang Dong An, 

Qixing District, Guilin

地址：桂林市七星区漓江东岸七星路1号(近龙隐小学)，七星公园内, 月牙楼 

Getting there: Take bus 9, 10, 11, 14, 18, 24, 28, 30, 31, 52, 58, 204, 206 to 

Qixing Gongyuan (七星公园)

4) Snails 

Snails are a delicious local dish rich in protein, vitamin C and calcium. This 

healthy delicacy has a round solid body and a little tail tip and is boiled up 

and served in spices. Guilin snails are cooked with chili peppers and green 

onions and boiled in ginger or sanhua liquor and then stir fried with various 

other ingredients. To eat the snail, pick the shell with your fingers and suck 

on the opening. The meat and juice should come right out with a hissing sound.

If you prefer the chopsticks method, toothpicks are available on request to 

poke the little snail out of his shell.

Recommended: Tianluo Guniang  

Add: 28 Zhongshan Zhong Lu (near Guilin Shucheng), Xiufeng District, Guilin

地址：桂林市秀峰区中山中路28号(近桂林书城), 田螺姑娘 

Getting there: Take bus 1, 3, 9, 11, 14, 22, 25, 26, 30, 31, 51, 57, 89, 99, 

100, 203 to Shizi Jie (十字街)

Attraction 

1. 象鼻山Xiangbi Shan (Elephant Trunk Hill) This hill resembles an elephant

sucking water. The Elephant Eye Rock perches high up the hill, with a hole 

running through it from left to right. Between the elephant's trunk and the 

body is a big round hole. It's reflection in the water is the exact image of 

the full moon, and hence its name" water Moon Cave". On the cliff there are 

more than 50 pieces of carved inscriptions belong to different periods. At 

the moonlight night, you will feel yourself merged with the moon in the sky, 

the moon in the cave and the moon at the river bottom. It is a symbol and 

landmark of the city. 

2. 叠彩山Diecai Park ( Hill of Folded Brocade) It earned its name due to the 

fact that its fault layers look like pieces of piled brocades. Standing on the 

top of the hill, you will get a panoramic view of the city. 伏波山英文简介Fubo 

Shan (Whirlpool Hill) Standing magnificently on the side of the river, this hill 

is so called because it serves to stem the torrents coming down the surrounding 

higher ground in summer, thus forming whirlpools. At its foot is Huan Zhu Dong 

( Returned Pearl Cave). 

3. 靖江王墓、尧山The Jingjiang Mausoleum The Jingjiang Mausoleum is located at 

the foot of Yao Mountain in the eastern suburb of Guilin. It is a mausoleum for 

a royal family - the Jingjiang Family in Ming Dynasty whose eleven generations 

were buried. Moreover, there are more than 300 tombs covering 100 square 

kilometers, making up the biggest ancient tomb group in south China. The 

well-preserved tombs have become important relics of culture and history in 

Guilin.

4. 独秀峰Duxiu Feng (Solitary Beauty Peak) It rises sheer from the ground inside 

the palace in the center of the city. It has acquired a fame of "the Pillar 

Holding up the Southern Sky" because of its majesty. The climb to the top is 

steep but there are good views of the town, the Li River and the surrounding 

hills. On the eastern cliff there remains giant engraved characters by the Qing 

dynasty calligraphers.

5. 西山公园Xishan Park The West Hill Park, a mile from downtown, is located 

in the western part of the city. The park holds the West Hill, Hidden Hill, 

and City Museum. Around the hills is a lake, by which stands a temple called 

Xi Qinglin. It has been frequented by pilgrims and tourists ever since the 

Tang Dynasty. On the cliff there exist 200 statues and frescos.