Armchair Traveller: Guilin, Guanxi Province

Guilin, centre of the Karst limestone area that spans Guanxi and Guizhou provinces, has long been famous for its hill and water scenery. Limestone peaks rise abruptly from the lush green plains, precipitous crags hung with trees and creepers soar 200 metres into the air, and the waters of the Li river heave past, carving natural arches and caves in the cliffs at every bend. The open stretches of water provide the fishermen of the riverside villages with their livelihood; cormorants slide noiselessly into the calmer waters, only to return seconds later with a writhing fish, deftly removed by the patient boatman. Guilin, 'Ozmanthus Forest', is home to some of the most attractive and varied plant life in the whole of China. The natural scenery is truly unrivalled anywhere else on the planet.

oliver@halo.ps.uci.edu