4 Lakes, 3 Rivers & Rice Fields, No Pandas
Yeah, I'm a little disappointed that we didn't see any pandas while in China. That alone is a reason to go back!
The second part of our journey in China took us down to the city of Guilin in the Guangxi Province. Guilin is northwest of Hong Kong and about the same distance northeast of Vietnam. We suggest you experience the following sights.
Reed Flute Cave
After we landed in Guilin, our tour guide drove us to the Reed Flute Cave. This vast cave lights up the diverse stalagmites and stalactites with multi-color lighting. It was an okay adventure, but not my favorite. The narration for our guided tour through the cave, so being that this was just our third day in China we hadn't yet mastered the language. Stalactites and stalagmites don't require much explanation, especially if you have been to Ruby Falls, you know this stuff.
Moving on...
Sun & Moon Pagodas
After the caves we checked into our fabulous hotel, the Guilin Yi Royal Palace, in Guilin's botanical garden. Just beautiful.
Two Rivers and Four Lakes Night cruise is a 90 minute cruise on the waters that run through Guilin for only 120 Yuan per person.
These twin pagodas light up the lake and serve as beacons calling guests to enjoy the calming effects of the water surrounding them.
Enchanting Li River
Don't miss this opportunity to see one of the most scenic areas of China along the Li River. This poetic landscape appears in paintings by great artists near and far. The Karst formations reach up from the blue waters to the blue skies. Truly breathtaking.
Long Haired Women of Huangluo
About 55 miles (2 hour drive) outside of Guilin at the base of the Longji Rice Terraces is a village called Huangluo where the local Hongyao women perform a cultural dance featuring their long (I mean really long) hair. Traditionally, the only time these women will ever cut their hair is when they turn 16 years old, symbolizing the fact that she is an adult who can look for a husband.
Longji Terraced Fields
Picturesque! China's landscape is mind blowing. Here we walked from the viewpoint called Nine Dragons and Five Tigers (higher elevation) down to Seven Stars around the Moon point surrounding the Ping'an Village then down into the village (1 1/2 hour hike). It felt sacred to walk along paths that are over 650 years old.
The weather was mild with a few sprinkles. The rice fields were void of rice, but still green and beautiful.
Rice season is from May to October with the right before harvest being the best time to visit these fields in all their glory.
Goodbye to Guilin
With the rice terraces in our rearview mirror, we head back down towards Guilin to catch our flight to Shanghai. Until next time.
Zài jiàn