Winter Tour of Guilin: See a Different Landscape

Everyone knows: Guilin's scenery is the best under heaven! However, most visitors to Guilin choose spring or summer. Indeed, spring and summer are the most beautiful seasons for Guilin's landscape. In winter, due to the season, the vegetation feels a bit desolate. But Guilin, as a very mature tourist city, is world-famous! Even in winter, tourism has developed many worthwhile and interesting projects.

Let's be honest: visiting Guilin in winter means cheaper airfare, and lower costs for accommodation and dining. Isn't that better than crowding on a beach island? Of course, when traveling, what matters most is whether you're interested. Next, I'll tell you all the fun things to do in Guilin in winter.

"Guilin, Guilin, osmanthus trees form a forest; osmanthus flowers, fragrance spreads to thousands of homes." In winter, the first recommendation for experiencing local culture is the Osmanthus Commune in the city center. The scenic area consists of four parts: the Osmanthus Culture Experience Hall, the Osmanthus Culture Theme Park, the Osmanthus Tree Theme Hotel, and a multifunctional classroom for study and practice bases.

The Osmanthus Culture Experience Hall is the core of the scenic area, where you can learn a lot about osmanthus. A rare sight is an ancient osmanthus seed unearthed from the Zengpiyan site in Guilin, which testing has shown to be ten thousand years old—the oldest osmanthus seed in the world.

The experience hall is always open, but in winter, due to the Spring Festival, you can also experience folk activities like paper cutting and osmanthus cake making. Many scenes in the scenic area are local "internet-famous check-in spots," perfect for taking photos! Overall, it's a venue well worth experiencing.

The Solitary Beauty Peak Princes' City Scenic Area in Guilin is the most worthwhile historical and cultural attraction in the city. Moreover, the unique "blessing culture" of the Princes' City fits perfectly with the Spring Festival theme. So, if you're visiting Guilin in winter, you must learn about praying for blessings at the Princes' City!

First, let's talk about the historical background of Jingjiang Prince's Mansion in the scenic area. Its original owner was Zhu Shouqian (grandnephew of Zhu Yuanzhang), a Ming dynasty vassal prince; in the Qing dynasty, it became the Guangxi Examination Hall, producing four top scholars; in modern times, it served as the Guangxi Provincial Government and the Guangxi Normal University campus... After more than 600 years of history, it stands strong. Behind the mansion is Solitary Beauty Peak, which truly lives up to its name—it is indeed more beautiful! Over the centuries, scholars and poets have left cliff inscriptions here. Among them, the 800-year-old inscription by Wang Zhengong of the Southern Song dynasty, "Guilin's landscape is the best under heaven," originated here. Walking through the entire Jingjiang Princes' City is like reading a concise history of Guilin.

Why does the scenic area have a unique "blessing culture"? To be precise, it should be called "blessing and longevity culture," which is also the core of our auspicious culture. The mountain of Solitary Beauty Peak is covered with numerous cliff carvings of the characters "blessing" and "longevity," which have been revered for thousands of years. Today, the scenic area also offers a visitor experience project of royal secret rubbings. During the New Year, you can make a rubbing of the character "blessing" yourself and take it home—whether as a gift or for yourself, it's very auspicious.

In the urban area of Guilin, there is a mountain called Diecai (Folded Brocade). In winter, tourists might not want to climb Diecai Mountain. No problem! Inside the Diecai Mountain Scenic Area, there is now a digital art exhibition called "A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains 3.0." You can enjoy it indoors—warm and dreamy.

This exhibition hall combines the painting "A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains" kept in the Forbidden City with digital technology, using digital projections, virtual images, interactive capture, and other trendy, nationally stylish art forms to present an astonishing Eastern aesthetic. Stepping inside feels like entering a fairy tale world, as if you are part of the painting. It's extremely innovative!

**Boiling Tea Around a Stove on the Two Rivers and Four Lakes**

When visiting Guilin city, a boat ride on the Two Rivers and Four Lakes scenic area is a classic route. However, this winter, especially during the Spring Festival, there's a new twist! You can experience the trendy activity of boiling tea around a stove on the boat (no charcoal fire, very safe).

The boat route is: Riyue Bay Pier – Shan Lake – Rong Lake – Gui Lake – Mulong Lake – Riyue Bay Pier. The entire route is very distinctive: elegant pagodas and pavilions adorn the ancient landscape city. The Riyue Bay and Mulong Lake that the boat passes are both great photo spots. Enjoy desserts and tea poetically on the boat, savoring the charm of Guilin city set amidst the landscape, truly experiencing the splendor of Guilin's scenery.

Whether you're on the boat or take photos after disembarking at the Two Rivers and Four Lakes, it's wonderful. The scenery at Mulong Lake is especially good, with its pagoda, bridges, and ancient-style buildings—perfect for ladies to bring cheongsam or Hanfu for photos. ⚠️ Tip: During the Spring Festival, the Four Lakes boat tea package is priced for two people, sold in sets of two. Children over 1.2 meters are charged the same as adults. Reservations must be made one day in advance. Boat departure time: daily 14:30-17:00, boat ride about 70 minutes. Ticket window price: 199 yuan/set.

Besides boiling tea around a stove, camping and barbecue are also popular travel trends in recent years. So, after recommending the Two Rivers and Four Lakes boat tea, I suggest experiencing camping barbecue at Guihai Qinglan. Here, mountains and rivers embrace each other, creating picturesque scenery. There's also a large grassy area, perfect for both sightseeing and photos.

It's recommended to come in the evening. You might not want to stay in a tent during winter in Guilin, but you'll definitely love the evening at Guihai Qinglan. Under the slightly hazy moonlight, light up your own tarp, and as the grill crackles, treat yourself or your friends/loved ones to a barbecue feast. Barbecue is really delicious, and the atmosphere is truly great.

**Guilin Danxia** – Many people, like me before, only know that Guilin's landscape is typical karst terrain, not knowing there is also a Danxia landform scenic area. In Ziyuan County under Guilin's jurisdiction, there is a Danxia scenic area well worth visiting. Guilin Danxia Scenic Area is divided into two parts: Gumuchong and Bajiaozhai, each offering very different experiences.

At the Gumuchong area, outdoor activities are recommended. Younger visitors or those with a timid heart can try forest adventure; but the most worthwhile is the via ferrata. The via ferrata at Gumuchong is about 520 meters long and takes about 1.5 hours. Honestly, this project tests your physical strength and courage. Climbing in the New Year will surely lead to a step-by-step rise in the coming year.

Visitors who want to try the via ferrata must act according to their ability, follow the scenic area coach's instructions, and wear protective gear. The via ferrata experience costs 180 yuan per person.

On the other side, the Bajiaozhai area is a good place for mountain climbing and sightseeing. It was rated by "Chinese National Geography" magazine as one of "China's Most Beautiful Seven Danxia," with the main peak at 818 meters above sea level. Before climbing, you'll pass through a bamboo grove, which is also a great photo spot.

The climbing intensity at Bajiaozhai is not too high; the route is well-planned with no backtracking. The core attraction, the Dragon Ridge Heavenly Ladder, is stunning whether you are on it or using aerial photography. It's also the most tiring part of the climb. Overall, it's thrilling but safe—even young visitors can manage it. The scenery along this section is really good.

Guilin is truly a city rich in tourism resources, including several counties under its jurisdiction. I just mentioned the Danxia scenic area in Ziyuan County; now let's talk about Longsheng County. Longsheng County is quite famous for the world-renowned Longji Rice Terraces.

Besides the Longji Rice Terraces, Longsheng County also boasts the Longsheng Ailing Hot Spring, known as "The Best Spring in South China." The hot spring is located in a forest area 32 km from Longsheng County town, and was also the filming location for Jackie Chan's movie "Skiptrace." Driving along mountain roads to get there, you'll see lush peaks and dense forests along the way, full of mystery.

The hot spring water emerges from rock layers 1,200 meters underground and contains lithium, strontium, iron, zinc, copper, and more than ten other trace elements beneficial to the human body. It meets national standards for mineral water and drinking water and is drinkable directly. The 27 different-style pools offer good privacy. Enjoying the hot springs for health and fully experiencing the luxury of the forest—isn't that wonderful?

Longsheng Hot Spring ticket is 100 yuan per person; if you book a hotel room, the hot spring ticket is free. There are also some farmhouse inns and local restaurants nearby for food and lodging. It's still recommended to book the hotel at the hot spring center, as it's close to the pools, reducing walking in winter to avoid catching a cold. The hotel's parking lot, restaurant, and other facilities are also better.