Talking about Guilin's New Cultural Tourism Attraction: Osmanthus Commune

I am a native Guilin native, and I have always had an inexplicable emotional connection to Guilin, and I also enjoy the envious glances from others. Although I usually complain that it's too small and not fashionable enough, deep down I truly recognize this famous city of landscapes and culture.

'The landscape of Guilin is peerless in the world' attracts many tourists to come see the mountains and waters, but it also makes people overlook the cultural value of Guilin city. Before 1950, the capital of Guangxi was Guilin, and Guilin has left many historical sites: the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Memorial Hall, Li Zongren's Former Residence, Bai Chongxi's Former Residence, etc. The most famous is Jingjiang Palace.

This May Day, I learned that Guilin has a new cultural attraction, Osmanthus Commune, and decided to go see it during the holiday.

On the third day of the May Day mini-vacation, I arrived at the Osmanthus Commune scenic area. The guide took us into the Osmanthus Culture Experience Hall. From the outside, it felt very spacious. Entering the exhibition hall, we arrived at the prelude hall, where a welcome picture unfolds, gathering all the major landmark scenic spots of Guilin. Also in the prelude hall, I learned about a Tang Dynasty poet from Guilin, Cao Ye, especially his poem after passing the imperial exam, 'To a Friend in Yangshuo,' which inspired many Guilin students, and also began the story of osmanthus.

The 'Gui Mai' exhibition hall (Osmanthus Veins) was very interesting. The guide asked us to find a ten-thousand-year-old osmanthus seed. After searching for a while, we found it quietly stored in a small planet above our heads. It is said that this seed is the oldest seed discovered in the world, found at the Guilin Zengpiyan Relic Park.

In the next exhibition hall, we watched a 5D immersive film amidst the fragrance of osmanthus, tracing the past and present of osmanthus.

I have eaten osmanthus cakes and drunk osmanthus tea since childhood, but I didn't know that osmanthus can also be used as medicine, having medicinal value. In the 'Gui Wei' exhibition hall (Osmanthus Taste), the medicinal value of osmanthus is recorded, and the book that records it is Li Shizhen's 'Compendium of Materia Medica.'

Then to the 'Gui Guan' exhibition hall (Osmanthus Laurel), which is also my favorite. Since childhood, I often passed by Jingjiang Palace, and the story of Chen Jichang, the top scholar in the three examinations (Sanyuan Jidi), was already familiar to me. But in the 'Gui Guan' hall, I learned that he also had a connection with osmanthus. In this hall, the colorful osmanthus rain was also stunning, and everyone let out 'wow' exclamations.

Then the 'Gui Yun' exhibition hall (Osmanthus Charm) is about the theme of osmanthus wine. It is said that osmanthus wine is full of deep affection. Here I learned about osmanthus wine culture and also the brewing process of osmanthus wine.

After walking through the exhibition halls, I strolled through the Osmanthus Theme Park. The park is not large, but the scenery is breathtaking. The blue sky, white clouds, and green mountains were reflected in the Moon Pond, as dreamlike as a mirror of the sky.

This trip to Osmanthus Commune gave me a new understanding of Guilin's humanities and history, and new knowledge about osmanthus.