Introduction to Guilin Two Rivers and Four Lakes · Xiangshan Scenic Area

Guilin Two Rivers and Four Lakes · Xiangshan Scenic Area is located in the central urban area of Guilin, a world-renowned international tourist city, a famous Chinese historical and cultural city, and an excellent tourist city in China, covering a total area of approximately 3.1 square kilometers. The scenic area is an important part of Guilin's urban tourism, representing the most iconic traditional landscape of Guilin, known as "Three Hills, Two Caves, and One River," and is a key component of the World Natural Heritage site, South China Karst. It is a representative example of modern urban landscape and ecological gardens worldwide and a model of China's urban water system renovation projects.

The scenic area boasts world-famous mountain and water landscapes, a vast number of cliff inscriptions, well-preserved urban landscape patterns and historical cultural sites, as well as traditional Guilin folk art performances. It gathers the essence of Guilin's natural scenery and historical culture, offering extremely rich tourism resources with high ornamental, historical, cultural, and scientific value.

In 2005, it was recognized as the most beautiful peak forest in China by the "Selection of China's Most Beautiful Places" activity of Chinese National Geography; in 2013 and 2014, it was consecutively named "China's Most Beautiful Moon-Viewing Spot" by CCTV News Channel's online poll; in 2017, it received awards such as the "China Leisure Vacation 5U Award," "2017 China Southern Region Most Popular Cultural Scenic Area Award," "2017 China Popular Recommended Scenic Area Award," "2017 CCTV Spring Festival Gala Best Support Award," and was named an "Abiding by Contracts and Keeping Promises" enterprise by Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region; in February of the same year, it was honored as a National 5A-level Tourist Attraction; in 2018, it was rated as a Cultural Industry Demonstration Base of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, received the Fifth Guilin Mayor Quality Award Nomination, and was named the Most Popular Scenic Area (including performances) and a New Era China Best Night Tour Landscape Leisure Resort; in 2019, it obtained the Safety Production Standardization Construction Certificate (Level II) and was recognized as a Model Small Trade Union of the Autonomous Region; in 2020, it won the First Guilin Brand Story Excellence Award, was named a Top Ten Night Tour Cultural Scenic Area, and a Guangxi Top Ten Night Tour Scenic Area, among other accolades.

Fubo Hill is hailed as a microcosm of Guilin's landscape, integrating mountains, water, caves, and rocks. Diecai Hill is the highest peak in Guilin's urban area, known as the "Place Where Rivers and Mountains Meet." The scenic area has profound historical accumulation and cultural connotations. The Southern Song Dynasty cliff inscription "Jingjiang Prefecture City Defense Map" on Yingwu Hill is the best-preserved and largest stele inscription in the world. Baoji Hill features the Baoji Rock, a late Paleolithic human site dating back 30,000 years. The scenic area also contains numerous Song Dynasty relics, such as Dongzhen Gate and existing ancient post road city walls. The Mulong Lake area includes historical sites like Li Jishen's former residence and the Eighth Route Army Office. The ancient south gate tower in Rong Lake area is a key cultural relic protection unit in Guilin, built by the Tang Dynasty general Li Jing in the fourth year of the Wude era (621 AD), with a history of 1,300 years. Near the ancient south gate is the mooring site of Song Dynasty poet Huang Tingjian. By the lake is Bai Chongxi's former residence, which houses a large collection of antique furniture from the Republic of China period. Li Zongren's official residence by Shan Lake is a national key cultural relic protection unit. At Wenchang Bridge Pier, there is a pagoda built in the Tang Dynasty, containing over ten pottery jars from the Ming and Qing dynasties used to hold relics, with the full text of the Diamond Sutra written in ink on the inner walls. Fubo Hill has 112 existing cliff inscriptions, the most artistically valuable being the self-portrait and autograph of the Song Dynasty calligrapher and painter Mi Fu. In the wind cave halfway up Diecai Hill, exquisite stone carvings are随处可见. On the upper right of the wind cave is the inscription by Marshal Chen Yi: "Willing to be a Guilin native, unwilling to be an immortal."

The scenic area also boasts rich cultural landscapes. The Sun and Moon Twin Pagodas in Shan Lake area were rebuilt in 2001 on the foundation of a Tang Dynasty pagoda and are now cultural landmarks of Guilin. The Sun Pagoda has set three world records: the tallest bronze pagoda in the world, the tallest elevator pagoda in water in the world, and the tallest bronze structure among 14 bridges. The scenic area is also a World Famous Bridge Expo Park, featuring various distinctive bridges. The Two Rivers and Four Lakes area includes high-tech ship lifting mechanisms, such as the Mulong Lake Ship Lift and the Xiangshan Ship Lift at the Spring Lake Lock Hub. Through these high-tech facilities, Rong Lake, Shan Lake, Gui Lake, and Mulong Lake are connected with the Li River and Taohua River, solving the problem of the nearly 2-meter water level difference between the four inner lakes and the two rivers.

The scenic area also features unique artistic performances, including the Mulong Lake Light and Shadow Show based on the ancient wartime beacon tower city wall ruins of Guilin, integrating local intangible cultural heritage stories such as the legendary love story of Liu Sanjie and Brother A Niu. There are also performances showcasing Yao culture, as well as traditional ecological cormorant fishing performances passed down for millennia by Li River fishermen. Additionally, the Gui Lake Fishing Fire Show is currently the largest, most spectacular, and most traditionally performed ecological cormorant fishing show in Guilin. The Two Rivers and Four Lakes · Xiangshan Scenic Area truly embodies the beautiful scene of "Thousands of peaks stand in the wilderness, one river embraces the city" and the harmonious landscape of "City within the scenery, scenery within the city." As a classic tour route in the center of Guilin, a boat ride allows visitors to enjoy traditional famous mountains like Elephant Trunk Hill, Fubo Hill, and Diecai Hill, achieving a perfect and harmonious unity of Guilin's profound history and culture, beautiful natural landscapes, and excellent ecological environment during the tour of the Two Rivers and Four Lakes · Xiangshan Scenic Area.

Introduction to the Two Rivers and Four Lakes Scenic Area

The Two Rivers and Four Lakes: refers to the Guilin ring city water system composed of Rong Lake, Shan Lake, Gui Lake, Mulong Lake, Li River, and Taohua River. It is the most beautiful ring city scenery belt in the center of Guilin. Water tours of Guilin flourished in the Tang Dynasty and peaked in the Song Dynasty. At that time, Guilin city was covered with lakes and ponds, with a well-developed water system, allowing a small boat to visit all the scenic spots in the city. Today, the Guilin Two Rivers and Four Lakes ring city water system has revived its former prosperity, forming a ring city water system comparable to Venice, truly a unique wonder in China. Taking a boat tour of the Two Rivers and Four Lakes has become the preferred way for Chinese and foreign tourists to explore the new Guilin city.

The Two Rivers and Four Lakes Scenic Area truly embodies the beautiful scene of "Thousands of peaks stand in the wilderness, one river embraces the city" and the harmonious landscape of "City within the scenery, scenery within the city." As the only classic ring tour route in the center of Guilin, a nighttime boat tour allows visitors to enjoy over ten traditional famous mountains such as Elephant Trunk Hill, Fubo Hill, Diecai Hill, Old Man Hill, and Baoji Hill; historical sites along the Taohua River like the Pagoda, Hongqiao Dam, Zhuzi Archway, and One-Legged Pavilion; and also visit the Chinese classical garden - Rong and Shan Lake Scenic Area, the ecological garden of harmony between heaven and man - Gui Lake Scenic Area, and the Song Dynasty Historical and Cultural Park - Mulong Lake Scenic Area. Visitors can also admire the World Famous Bridge Expo Park, Famous Flowers and Trees Expo Park, Pavilions and Towers Expo Park, and Sculpture Expo Park. Performances along the shore, including Gui Opera, local folk arts, Gui Lake fishing fire shows, and Yao ethnic long hair dances - Yao village customs, are dazzling and leave visitors marveling at why there is a saying: "Willing to be a Guilin native, unwilling to be an immortal."

Introduction to Xiangshan Scenic Area

Xiangshan Scenic Area is located at the confluence of Guilin's Taohua River and Li River. In 1995, it was designated as the emblem of Guilin city. The main attractions in the scenic area include Elephant Trunk Hill, Water Moon Cave, Elephant Eye Rock, Puxian Pagoda, Sanhua Wine Cellar, Love Island, and the Yunfeng Temple Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Revolutionary Site Exhibition Hall. The famous Xiangshan Water Moon Cave contains 22 Tang and Song Dynasty historical and cultural stone carvings with 3,065 characters, making it the only water cave with the most Tang and Song Dynasty stone carvings. In 2013 and 2014, it was twice selected by CCTV as "China's Most Beautiful Moon-Viewing Spot." In 2016, it was chosen as the venue for the Southern China sub-venue of the 2017 CCTV Spring Festival Gala (Year of the Rooster). Therefore, Xiangshan is not only a representative of Guilin's landscape but has also become a symbol of harmony between humans and nature in Chinese landscapes.

Introduction to Diecai Hill and Fubo Hill Scenic Areas

Diecai Hill commands a high vantage point, offering a panoramic view of the entire Guilin city. Mingyue Peak, one of the four peaks of Diecai Hill, is the highest peak in the urban area, with a relative height of 73 meters. The mountain body is formed by layers of colorful rocks stacked like pearls or jade, hence the name Diecai Hill (Stacked Colors Hill). Halfway up the hill, there is a unique wind cave containing 178 stone carvings and 24 niches with 98 statues. Notable examples include Marshal Chen Yi's inscription "Willing to be a Guilin native, unwilling to be an immortal" and the Qing Dynasty Guo Sijing's "Longevity" character carving. As the saying goes, passing through the wind cave mouth allows you to live past 99, and climbing Diecai Hill lets you live past 130. Reaching the summit offers a 360-degree bird's-eye view of Guilin city, allowing visitors to experience the artistic conception of the "Place Where Rivers and Mountains Meet." The combination of landscapes and culture showcases the essence of Guilin.

Fubo Hill is known as the "Guardian God of the Li River." Its solitary mountain body rests half on land and half in the river. Every spring and summer, when the river surges, the mountain's base blocks the raging waves, causing the water to reverse and swirl, demonstrating the power to subdue waves. The scenic area features numerous rare plants and historical relics, such as the large iron bell, the thousand-person cauldron, and Tang Dynasty Buddha statues. Particularly precious are the self-portrait and calligraphy of Mi Fu inside the Huanzhu Cave.