Guilin is pronounced something like “Gway leen.” On our first day in Guilin we took a cruise on the Li River. In spite of the rain and fog, this was an unforgettable sight.
The only thing that is not quite right is the fact that these bamboo rafts are built out of PVC pipe, some white and some blue. The government owns all of the big tour boats and discourages these small intruders. Both here and on the Yangtze, the tour boats are old and run down.
The cruise ended at the delightful town of Yangshuo. See map.
The next day we skipped an optional tea garden tour and walked around Guilin instead. Here is one of the city parks.
And here is the view from our hotel window.
I asked my professor,
"Why did they make up that kind of landscape?"
And he said, "That place really exists."
Lois Conner
Next: Hong Kong