Guilin travel guide

You can reach Guilin by plane, bus or high-speed train. Guilin now runs luxury direct coaches to neighbouring provinces and cities, such as all of Guangdong Province, Changsha, Wuhan, Haikou and Xiamen, which are quite comfortable. You can also choose the high-speed rail.

Guilin Liangjiang International Airport operates more than 50 domestic and international routes, and all major Chinese airlines fly to Guilin. It has direct flights to more than 30 major and mid-sized cities in China, as well as to Fukuoka in Japan, Seoul in South Korea, Bangkok in Thailand and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.

The Qiangui, Jiaoliu, Nankun, Lizhan and Xianggui railway lines run through the whole of Guilin. In 2014, the Guiyang–Guangzhou High-Speed Railway opened, giving Guilin a network that links north to south and east to west. In recent years, with the opening of the Hengliu Railway and the Guiyang–Guangzhou High-Speed Railway, transport in Guilin has become even more convenient. Guangxi was also the first to offer a 'one-ride-through' high-speed rail service to Hong Kong. Guilin South Railway Station is the city's main passenger station, while Guilin North Station currently has departures to destinations including Beijing and Shenzhen.

The road network includes the Guihai Expressway (via Liuzhou and Nanning to Beihai), the Guihuang First-Class Highway (to Hunan), the Guilin–Yangshuo Second-Class Highway and others.

Traffic within the city flows smoothly, with almost no long jams. Buses reach every corner of the urban area on a flat ¥1 fare. Some air-conditioned buses and routes to the city outskirts and nearby counties charge ¥2.

Eight free city bus routes reach the main attractions, scenic areas and major streets in the urban district. A free shuttle for AAAA-rated scenic areas departs from Seven Star Park every 15 minutes, stopping for three minutes at each attraction. You can board at the shuttle stop at each attraction's entrance.

1. Local Guilin residents enter parks free of charge before 7:00 and after 19:00.

2. Some bus routes (Nos. 51–58) are free, a first in China.

3. The shuttle buses serving AAAA-rated scenic areas in the city are free.

First departures: Seven Star Park 8:15, Reed Flute Cave 9:15. Last departures: Seven Star Park 16:20, Reed Flute Cave 17:20.

2. Free admission: since 31 January 2022, the Elephant Trunk Hill scenic area has been fully open free of charge.

2. Glass Bridge: visitors who have been here will never forget it, especially those who have seen it glow at night. The Glass Bridge used to be open free of charge, but heavy foot traffic once damaged it, so entry now requires a ticket.

3. Night photos: if you are sitting on a cruise boat, photos tend to blur, so it's best to bring a tripod.

4. Official boats: In Guilin you will hear someone ask “Want a boat ticket?” This is the so-called “official boat,” a large tour boat that sails directly from Guilin to the Yangshuo County pier. The fare is around ¥200, with more than 90 passengers per boat, and it goes straight to Yangshuo. However, it does not stop along the way for you to enjoy the Li River scenery, so most people choose not to take it.

Guilin cuisine is based on Cantonese, Sichuan and Hunan cooking, and leans toward spicy flavours. Lotus-leaf duck, stir-fried chicken with water chestnuts, old duck with white ginkgo, Lipu taro braised pork and Luohan casserole chicken are all signature dishes, and you can find authentic versions at any star-rated hotel.

Rice noodles are also a Guilin specialty, with many varieties; the most famous are “horse-meat rice noodles” (马肉米粉). Locals also often eat a noodle dish topped with sliced braised beef, known as luroufen. Beyond that, the nun's noodles at Yueya Hill Scenic Area, and the zongba (粽粑), water chestnut cake and stir-fried field snails on Nanxin Road Food Culture Street are all well known. Be sure to try Guilin's ciba (糍粑), and once you've had one, you'll want another.

Restaurants in Guilin, large and small, even rice noodle shops, all display their prices clearly. As long as you avoid a black-market shop, you can relax and eat your fill. Most restaurants in Guilin do not charge for bowls and chopsticks, and tea is usually free too. If a charge applies, it is normally announced in advance. Do not carry your bag loosely on your back. Zhengyang Pedestrian Street and Xicheng Road Pedestrian Street have security guards, so they are safer.

Guilin has six main food streets: Binjiang Road Food Street (from Fubo Hill to Elephant Trunk Hill), Jiefang West Road Food Street, Putuo Road Food Street (at the Chaoyang Road junction), the Food City (200 metres to the left of the bus station), Zhishan Road Food Street (opposite the Food City), and the most famous one, near the Clock Tower in Central Square.

Many rice noodle shops along the streets serve very good food. Recommended options include Chongshan Rice Noodles, Shengli Rice Noodles, Shenlu Rice Noodles, Danzi Rice Noodles and Ritou Huo Rice Noodles.

At midday, as you stroll through Guilin's streets and alleys, you will see many locals, each with a bowl of oil tea, enjoying a leisurely lunch with staples such as fried rice noodles, water-soaked ciba, boat-shaped cake and radish cake. Oil tea has only become popular with Guilin residents in recent years, but the ethnic minority communities in the counties around Guilin have long enjoyed “dǎ” (pounding) oil tea. It is said that northern Guangxi oil tea was once praised by Emperor Qianlong as a “refreshing divine soup.” Everywhere, oil tea is called “dǎ” rather than “boiled,” but each locality's version has its own distinctive flavour. Gongcheng oil tea is considered the finest of all, famous throughout northern Guangxi and beyond. To make it, choose high-quality green tea and steep it in boiling water for about 20 minutes until the leaves are soft, then drain. Put suitable amounts of lard, ginger, spring onion, garlic and crushed peanuts into an iron pan and cook over low heat, constantly pounding the tea leaves with a wooden mallet until they break down. Finally, add water and bring to the boil, and a pot of fragrant oil tea is ready.

Varieties include bean zongzi, chestnut zongzi, lotus-seed paste zongzi, guozheng zongzi (steamed wrapped rice cake), and triangular zongzi, all widely sold. There is also taro cake, crispy outside and soft inside, and sweet, soft mung bean cake. Guilin's snacks are truly too numerous to list.

Zhengyang Street has a history of more than a thousand years. It borders the Li River to the east and connects with the old city wall to the north, and you can only appreciate its full character by visiting at night. The bars here are relatively upscale, usually serving only imported beer or spirits, and drinks are expensive. The open-air street-side bars are very pleasant: order a few bottles of local beer and sip slowly, drink heartily, or simply watch the crowds passing by.

Overall, the quality of hotels and guesthouses in Guilin varies widely, and star-rated hotels are relatively expensive. Independent travellers are advised to consider ordinary guesthouses or small and mid-sized inns first. These are mostly good value for money and offer decent service.

Avoid shopping on a group tour's shopping stops. It is better to shop in places farther from the tourist sites. For example, you can buy Guilin landscape calligraphy and paintings at the Guilin Longquan Art Museum on Zhongshan South Road or at the museum calligraphy and painting shop of Xishan Company. At major supermarkets, you can buy Guilin specialties such as Sanhua liquor, fermented tofu, moon persimmons and taro.

Guilin's main specialties include Shatian pomelo, summer orange, luo han guo (monk fruit), white ginkgo, moon persimmon, Lipu taro, dried bean curd sticks and the Guilin Three Treasures.

Handicrafts mainly include Gui embroidery, paper umbrellas, hand-painted screens and knitwear, all with a distinctive Guilin character.

Guilin is also a major gemstone processing centre in China, and there are affordable, quality jewellery pieces at places such as Mopanshan Pier. The Guilin tourism authority has licensed national appraisal offices at jewellery counters. If you find fake goods being sold, you can file a complaint and seek compensation.