Guilin is a city in China located in one of the most fascinating corners of the planet. Residential quarters are in close proximity to the amazing beauty of mountain karst formations and are surrounded by thickets of fragrant osmanthus fragrant shrubs. It is no accident that the name of the millionth megalopolis is translated as “Forest of Sweet Osmanthus”.
Affairs of past years
It is difficult to name the exact date of foundation of the city of Guilia in China. According to historical chronicles, as early as 314 BC. e. a small settlement was founded on the banks of the Li River. During the military campaigns of the Qin dynasty (221–207 BC) against the state of Nanyue, a garrison was located in this area.
The official status of the locality was given in 111 BC. e. During the reign of the emperor At the Han dynasty, Shi-An district was created here, which can be considered the beginning of the formation of the city.
Guilin in China flourished under the Tang and Song dynasties. It was the link between the central government and the southwestern border territory, for the protection of which the units of the regular army were stationed in the settlement. To deliver food from the fertile plain of the Yangtze to the farthest southwestern point of the empire, canals were dug to the city.
New time
After expanding borders and strengthening China, Guilin lost its border status. It was a quiet provincial town, to which waves of turmoil and conquerors rarely sank. Travelers often came here, including from Europe. They were attracted by the unique beauty of karst peaks, as if growing out of the ground.
Serious upheavals and changes began to occur only in the 20th century, when world empires clashed for the right to dominate China. This provoked both imperialist and civil wars, which excited the country until the 1950s.
The revolutionary events of the 1920s led to the fact that one of the headquarters of the Kuomintang Party’s Northern Expeditionary Army, headed by Sun Yatsen, who fought both the Japanese aggressors and the Communists, was located in Guilin. The victory of the latter at the end of 1940 led to the establishment of a new government.
Since the 1950s, the village has been rapidly developing. In 1981, Guilin in China was listed by the State Council on a special list of four cities (the other three are Beijing, Hangzhou and Suzhou), where the protection of historical and cultural heritage, as well as natural landscapes, is a priority.
Administrative submission
Guilin Prefecture (China) is located in the north of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and covers an area of 27.6 km 2 . It is divided into 17 administrative units:
- Neighborhoods: Xiufeng, Xiangshan, Diecai, Qixing, Yanshan, Lingui.
- Counties: Yangshuo, Lingchuan, Xing'an, Quanzhou, Yongfu, Ziyuan, Guanyang, Pingle, Lipu.
- Autonomous counties: Gongcheng Yao, Longsheng Various Nationalities.
The total population of the prefecture exceeds 5 million people, 1.4 million people live directly in the city.
Geography
It is no coincidence that the city and its environs are considered one of the most beautiful regions of China. Tours in Guilin are organized by many travel companies in the world. Travelers are attracted by surreal landscapes formed by residual karst formations: cliffs and domed elevations that rise above the plain; numerous caves; residential areas and cultivated fields huddling between the mountains. The winding Li River, which flows through the city, adds to the charm of the area. The territory attracts filmmakers, in particular, one of the episodes of Star Wars was filmed here.
The village is located in the heart of the Nanling Ridge, hundreds of millions of years washed away by the frequent rains characteristic of a humid subtropical climate. In this case, the average height above sea level does not exceed 150 meters. Guilin National Park is organized in the prefecture.
Economy
Until 1949, the city had only a thermal power plant, cement plants and small textile factories. However, from the 1950s, areas such as the production of electronics, engineering and agricultural equipment, pharmaceuticals, rubber products, fertilizers, and buses began to develop. There are factories of textile, silk and cotton yarn.
Food processing based on local agricultural products remains a critical industry. It grows oranges, persimmons, arhats, ginkgo, water chestnuts, soybeans, grains, grapes, cinnamon, tea, aromatic herbs. Catch fish.
Recently, the production complex has been modernized through the introduction of high technologies and new equipment. Particular attention is paid to tourism, medicine, trade and services. In 2009, GDP was 19,400 yuan (about $ 2,850) per capita. This is only the 125th figure among major Chinese cities.
Natural attractions
Guilin in China is primarily known for natural monuments of world significance. Among them are especially distinguished:
- Elephant trunk hill on the banks of the Lee River. This is a business card of the city. Reminds a giant elephant at a watering hole.
- Moon hill A domed uplift in the middle of which a crescent-shaped hole was formed. You can climb the summit by steep stairs. Entrance is 14 yuan.
- Kitten Mountain is the highest peak in Guangxi with a height of 2142 m, formed over 500 million years ago. National Nature Reserve.
- Cave of the Seven Stars. An extensive limestone complex, attracting travelers for 1300 years. The name comes from the fact that the main karst limestone peaks resemble the location of the stars of the constellation Ursa Major. In its place, a recreation park of the same name was formed for citizens.
One of the main attractions of Guilin in China is the Reed Flute Cave. In its vicinity, reeds grow, from which folk musical instruments are made. It is considered one of the most beautiful in the world. Bizarre stalactites and stalagmites hanging over an underground lake, artificially illuminated by colorful lights, are effectively reflected in the water surface. The Palace of Natural Arts (alternative name) is about 180 million years old.
More than 70 inscriptions left by ancient travelers were found in the Reed Flute Cave . The oldest of them is over 1200 years old. Interestingly, the location of the cave was subsequently lost. It was reopened by a group of refugees fleeing Japanese aggressors in the 1940s.
Cultural attractions
Despite its venerable age, Guilin does not belong to architectural pearls. For centuries, the Chinese authorities paid little attention to the regional administrative center. However, the city has something to see. First of all, the urban landscape itself is attractive - residential areas are chaotically scattered over a vast territory, located between karst cliffs, rivers and farmland.
The palace of Jingjiang princes, built in 1372-1392, during the Ming Dynasty, is of the greatest historical value. In the imperial period, it was an “inner city”, where only local rulers, high dignitaries and their families had the right to reside. The complex consists of 40 buildings, 4 pavilions and 4 reception rooms and covers an area of 20 hectares. A 1.5-kilometer city wall has been preserved with a height of 8 m and a thickness of 5.5 m. From four corners of the world, the gates of Tiren (Donghua), Duanli (Zhenyang), Zunyi (Xihua) and Guangzhi (Gugong) lead to the palace. Today it houses the Guangxi Normal University. The building remains open to the public as a popular attraction, combining natural formations, history, traditional architecture and local culture.
The beauty of man-made rice terraces and fields sown with "colorful" crops is not inferior to natural beauties. Especially picturesque are the settlements of Yangshuo, Cuiping, Xinping, Daxu. Tourists are impressed by Longshen Rice Terraces. They are located on the sloping slopes of the coastal ridge (at heights of up to 800 meters), rising from the foot to the very peaks. According to archaeological excavations, they were built about 650 years ago.