Guilin is famed for the beautiful scenery that surrounds it and makes it one of China' s foremost tourist attractions. Situated on the west bank of the Li River in Guangxi Autonomous Region in the south of the country, Guilin' s dreamlike landscapes, which are created by its verdant limestone pinnacles, rich vegetation and peaceful water views, have been an inspiration to poets and painters for centuries. According to a common Chinese saying, the city' s mountains and rivers are the "finest under heaven." A scene of Guilin' s mountains reflected in the waters of the Li River appears on China' s 20 yuan banknote. The city' s name means "forest of sweet osmanthus", after the profusion of sweet osmanthus trees that fill the city with fragrance throughout the summer.

Major attractions of Guilin include Li River, which offers a host of beautiful water views, Elephant Trunk Hill, the site of a scenic cave and an elegant Ming dynasty pagoda, Reed Flute Cave, a limestone cave of extraordinary beauty, and Seven-Star Park, which contains in its small area a remarkable variety of cultural and natural attractions. The surrounding region also offers rich cultural and scenic rewards. An activity that never fails to captivate visitors is a cruise down the 83-km stretch of the Li River between Guilin and Yangshuo. The boat passes through countryside of unequalled beauty, every bend in the river offering views of soaring mountains, peaceful water views and timeless rural scenes. The town of Yangshuo itself, with its bustling multicultural West Street and opportunities for cycling and hiking, is a popular stopping-point for visitors.

Guilin is also an important cultural center with more than 2000 years of history. It assumed strategic importance when the Emperor Qin Shihuang (221-210 BC) ordered the construction of a canal linking the Xiang and Li rivers. The city has been the political, economic and cultural center of Guangxi since the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127 AD), and has inspired countless generations of poets and writers. Many of their works in praise of Guilin survive in the landscape itself, in the form of rock carvings and inscriptions. These, together with traces of prehistoric cultures and monuments of successive Chinese dynasties, contribute to a powerful sense of cultural richness and continuity that pervades Guilin.

Today, Guilin is one of the most important tourist destinations in China, and it is not surprising to find that tourism is critical to the health of the city' s economy, generating almost 30 per cent of revenue in 2006. However, Guilin' s other strategic industries are strong contributors: there are over 900 enterprises in the city' s main industrial zone alone, with equipment manufacture, automotive products and electronics and IT being especially important sectors.

Culturally, the region is the birthplace of two unique forms of Chinese opera: Gui opera and Cai opera, both of which are performed nightly in Guilin. The ethnic diversity of the area also enhances its appeal to visitors: 28 of China' s ethnic minorities enrich Guilin' s cultural life, including the Zhuang, Yao, Hui, and Miao people. The Li River Folk Customs Center is a useful source of information on minority customs and folkways.

Guilin cuisine is known for its snacks and for its combination of sweetness with spices, especially chili. The region is famous for Guilin chili sauce (Guilin laliaojiang), which is used widely in cooking by locals. Guilin rice noodle (Guilin mifen) has been the local breakfast staple for centuries and is a delicious mixture of noodles, fried peanuts or soybeans, chopped scallions and thinly sliced meat. Zongzi, a glutinous rice dumpling wrapped in a bamboo leaf, is another popular local snack. One of the city' s most famous banquet dishes is steamed Li River Mandarin fish, prized for the tenderness and delicacy of its flesh.

Guilin' s long history and cultural diversity mean that the city offers a wide range of attractive local products. They include decorative stones, stone sculptures, jade sculptures, embroidered silk balls, bamboo and wood sculpture and painted fans.

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