Exploring the ancient city of Guilin: A must-see destination

This article is based on a trip to Guangzhou and Guilin, China, undertaken by a group of Sabah journalists from August 19 to 24. The visit was organised by the Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Kota Kinabalu to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Malaysia-China diplomatic relations.

GUILIN - Stepping into the Guilin Museum here feels like being transported back in time, with replicas of traditional houses and over 30,000 artifacts belonging to ancient Chinese society on display.

It is fascinating to take a look at ancient items such as vases that were made during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and decorative items, and the clothes worn by the people of ethnic groups such as Zhuang, Miao, Yao, Hui, Dong and Han from southern China. There’s even a display of the colourful, beautifully embroidered garments worn by Muslims in China, featuring intricate designs on the bodice and sleeves.

Also on exhibition are silver jewellery and ornaments adorned by women, such as necklaces, earrings, hairpins and neck rings from the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

Inside the replica of a rather large house, wooden carved chairs are neatly arranged, with a teapot and small cups placed on the table, while paintings adorn the walls, adding charm to the home. There are also replicas of people conducting business in front of their shops.

After the museum visit, our group was taken to the Guilin International Media Convergence Centre. Here, we were briefed about the centre which has its headquarters in New York.

The centre is equipped with a two-metre smart screen displaying local news, including news related to government agencies; it also has news studios and an outdoor broadcast centre.

RICE NOODLES

As part of our visit, we also attended a dinner hosted by Li Jun, director-general of the Publicity Department of CPC Guilin Committee.

In his speech, Li described Guilin as one of China’s earliest cultural and historical cities, with an impressive history of over 2,100 years and a reputation for having "the most beautiful scenery outside of heaven”.

"Guilin is also one of the first cities in China to open its doors to tourism and its karst limestone mountains and the Lingqu Canal in Xing’an are listed as World Natural Heritage and World Irrigation Engineering Heritage sites,” he said.

He also praised Guilin’s Li River as one of the most beautiful rivers in the world, adding it is a leading tourist attraction recommended by the World Tourism Organisation.

Li added Guilin is currently working towards becoming a world-class tourist city, with a vision that encompasses global perspectives, international standards, Chinese style, Guangxi’s character and the unique charm of Guilin, which is located in the Guangxi region.

We also had the opportunity to enjoy a local traditional dish, Guilin rice noodles, which is similar to laksa and served with peanuts, chives and beef.

The noodles are slightly chewy and the unique aspect of the dish is that the broth is not added at the beginning but only poured in when the noodles are almost eaten. This dish is said to be a popular local snack, usually served in the morning, afternoon and evening.

FOUR HOURS ON LI RIVER

The next item on our itinerary was a four-hour cruise along the Li (also known as Lijiang) River. We embarked on the cruise ship at the Zhujiang jetty, a 45-minute drive from Guilin.

Our ship sailed towards Shui Dongmen jetty in Yangshuo, which is about 83 kilometres from our starting point. The scenery on both sides of the Li River was breathtaking, with stone walls covered in lush green vegetation in certain sections. The morning air was fresh and the river appeared clean, despite flowing close to residential areas.

On the two-storey cruise ship, various amenities are available for passengers including a café and toilets. There is also a lounge on the upper deck where passengers can take photos while enjoying their lunch. We were entertained by music played on a traditional Chinese instrument called the guzheng, performed by a female musician.

According to Li Qinyi, 30, an officer from China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, several companies offer cruise services on the Li River and they normally operate only once a day since the journey to Yangshuo takes four hours.

Something that caught the writer’s attention was the sight of fishermen using birds to help them catch fish on the river. It is understood that fishing with cormorant birds is a traditional technique passed down through generations.

SCENES FROM ‘AVATAR’

One of the most anticipated highlights of this cruise has to be the stretch between Yangdi and Xingping, where the scenery resembles the image on China’s 20 Yuan banknote showing a fisherman on a bamboo raft on the Li River, with the karst mountains of Guilin in the background.

We also noticed many small bamboo rafts on the river, powered by electric motors, transporting tourists to the area, and occasionally, the cruise ship would honk as the smaller vessels came closer.

On the right side of the route, from a distance, we could see waterfalls cascading from between the rocks, while on the left, there were many small piers. I was informed there are also villages in the area.

As I gazed at the landscapes surrounding the Li River, I felt as though I was watching the movie ‘Avatar’ - the sight of the towering mountains shrouded in mist as light rain fell resembled some of the scenes from the film.

After we arrived at Yangshuo, we went for a walk along West Street, an ancient street that dates back 1,400 years. Stretching 2,000 metres, West Street is lined with various shops selling clothing, hats and souvenirs. It is also dotted with cafés, restaurants and hotels.

We were also taken to Jiwodu Village, another one of Yangshuo’s tourist attractions.

On our final evening in Guilin, we watched ‘Impression Sanjie Liu’, an outdoor folk theatre performance beside the Li River featuring a combination of dance, music and traditional songs.

The ambience was alluring what with the mist and moonlight, as well as the 12 karst peaks in the backdrop whose reflections could be seen on the river.

It drizzled that night but the writer and other media members remained captivated for the entire hour-long performance which involved 600 artistes, among them being fishermen who live along the Li River. It was directed by Zhang Yimou, a well-known film director who also directed the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. - BERNAMA