Beautiful Karst mountains and caves in Guilin - By: Serena Zhu

Guilin is famed as the most scenic place under Heaven for its dramatically shaped Karst hills, fantastic caves, and limpid water. Visitors from all over the world are impressed and inspired by its beautiful landscape, and wonder how Mother Nature has created such a wonderful land.

In geographic terms, Karst Topography is a landscape shaped by the dissolution of a layer or layers of soluble bedrock, usually carbonate rock such as limestone or dolomite (source: wikepedia ). South China is a major Karst area in the world, and Guilin is the most typical and rare example of Karst Topography in terms of its scale and uniqueness.
Nine Hhorses Fresco Hill along Li River
Karst Hills lining the Li River

Guilin area was a gulf several hundred million years ago. Salty sea water kept dissolving and wearing off the limestone layers, and slowly developed the original shapes of Guilin¡¯s hills under water. In the movement of the earth's crust, the sea gave way to the land. Then about another 70 million years had passed, with the help of the natural elements of wind, rains, and rivers above and under ground, the isolated limestone peaks and fantastic stalagmite caves of Guilin have been developed.

Guilin is rich with rivers, and the water is limpid like mirrors reflecting the beautiful Karst hills. The Li River passing across the region is the soul of Guilin's natural beauty. The great Tang Dynasty poet Han Yu (768-824) was deeply inspired when cruising down the Li River of Guilin, and wrote down a famous line "the river winds like a green silk ribbon, while the hills are like jade hairpins".

Some of the famous Karst hills and caves in Guilin:

Elephant Trunk Hill is the symbol of Guilin. It is located where the Peach Blossom River merges with the Li River. The hill is a prime example of Karst rock formations. The hill's shape resembles an elephant drinking from the Li River. There are many scenic spots located near the Elephant Trunk Hill. Visitors can hire small bamboo rafts to take them around the hill.

The cliff face of Nine Horse Nine Fresco Hill has natural images of what appeared to be a group of horses. Variegated in yellow and white, dark and light, the horses assume a variety of poses. Legend says that if a person can point out all the nine horses on the precipice, she or he would be the winner of the next Imperial Examination.

When the river takes a big turn at Xingping, the scenery on the 20 Yuan note shows up: the beautiful landscape, the country scenery and verdant bamboo greeting you all the way along the river in breeze, and fishermen floating by on bamboo rafts with their cormorants.

Recommended Guilin Tour Itinerary: http://www.chinaodysseytours.com/guilin-tour/guilin-yangshuo-real-adventure-tour.html

About the Author

China Odyssey Tours - A China-based company provides tour packages for family, couple, individual & group. Help you plan & organize your tour to China according to your preferences.

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