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Guilin is known for its river, called the River Li (or
Li Jiang).
And, the Li River is known for its beautiful mysterious landscapes of
the surrounding mountains. We took an idyllic cruise through these
beautiful gorges.
I
enjoyed seeing all the sights along the river. There are many villages
along the water.
This
is a rich agricultural region. Here, the people are growing oranges - a
favorite for New Year's celebrations that just past.
The
water buffalo are used both for pulling carts and plows as well as for
food and leather.
Not
only do the buffalo work in the fields, but there's also a lot of human
power as you see on the right.
The
countryside was beautiful in spite of its being so early in the season.
The
misty mountains are the traditional view of this river area.
Interestingly, this river is VERY shallow. We scraped on the bottom
several times during the trip. In fact, there were four boats that
didn't make it to our destination because one boat got stuck on the
bottom and the three boats behind him couldn't get by. Glad it wasn't
us!!
These
folks are on the back of one boat fixing lunch that is part of the trip.
There were very few Europeans any place we went. So, everything was
authentic Chinese - from the food to the squat "facilities" - and don't
forget your own TP!
Our
cruise took us 40 miles to the south to the city of Yangshuo. We enjoyed
the day a great deal. The scenery was great. The leisurely cruise on the
Li River was pleasant and restful and the tour of the area was quite
interesting.

Had to give you a couple more of these fabulous mountain
views.
We
toured Guilin city (it is an island around which flow several rivers).
They have it all lit up at night and it's a fun cruise.
The
pagodas and the hotels are beautiful at night.
Fishing
by using cormorants was common some years ago, but now it's done mostly
to entertain tourists.
The
area around Guilin is also very lovely in the daytime. The city dates
back to 214 BC, during the reign of Qin Shi Huangdi, the first emperor
of a united China. He ordered the construction of the Ling Canal
connecting the Yangzi, Li and Shu rivers. This canal still exists today
and is one of the world's longest canals.
This
is Elephant Trunk Hill (Xiangbi Shan) on the left. It is a limestone
peak. If you don't see it you won't do
well in the many aspects of Chinese culture that ask you to use your
imagination and see various objects in the natural surroundings. I think
I finally see the elephant.
On
the left is the Reed Flute Cave (or Ludiyan), named for a reed that grows outside and
is made into a flute. It's a huge cave and from someone that does NOT
like caves, we loved it.
As
you see, they have the cave lit up in many beautiful colors. They're big
on what the various shapes remind them of. I just like to see the
natural phenomena.
There
was a lot of air blowing through the spaces, so you didn't feel
claustrophobic. Also, some of the spaces were quite large.
You can see I was taken by this cave. Pretty neat!

We
toured many parks in the region. These ladies on the right are wearing
native costumes. The silver headdresses are from the Miao people. There
are 55 ethnic minorities in China, making up 8.4% of the population -
that's 16.17 million people! 53
have their own language.

Even
though it was early spring (March) the flowers were starting to come out.
Also, beautiful displays were made with potted hothouse plants.
This
wonderful two-ton bronze bell sits at the foot of a large hiss called
Fabo Shan. It is at this site that a Han dynasty general saved Guilin
from a rebel army. We hiked up this hill!
These
figures were carved out of the rock inside a cave. We enjoyed seeing the
devotion maintained by the faithful. This is Qiango Yan - Thousand
Buddha Rock. The cave lies under the Fabo Shan Hill.
More
lovely views in the Li Jiang area.
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