MAy is a most exciting month for Chinese people. This fifth month of the year is kicked off by a “golden week,”otherwise known as a seven-day holiday. The springtime break is the perfect time to take a trip. While travel options are many, a well-known Chinese saying asserts,“East or West, guilin landscape is best!”
　　guilin is absolutely legendary. A scenic Mecca of sorts, it continuously tops lists of popular destinations in China. Located in the northeast of guangxi Zhuang Autonomous region in the south of the country, guilin never fails to amaze both Chinese and foreign tourists alike.
　　guilin boasts some of the most striking karst topography in the world. The strangely shaped hills and green vegetation is surrounded by crystal clear waters and marked with wonderful caves. Even though guilin is technically a city, its main industry is tourism, which has left it much cleaner than other Chinese metropolises.
　　Two rivers and four lakes circle the city’s center. of these, the Lijiang river is most famed. The body of water is an artist’s dream and has attracted poets and painters throughout the centuries. National Geographic, the American magazine, selected the river one of the world’s top 10 aquatic wonders. on its website, a description reads, “China’s Lijiang river snakes through a fairy-tale landscape of conical limestone peaks, its smooth waters exquisitely mirroring the magical scenery.”
　　It’s highly recommended that visitors take the Li- jiang river cruise from guilin to yangshuo. The cruise is along an 84-km waterway, and can be compared to strolling through a Chinese ink landscape painting. Lined with bamboo, the landscape is decorated with startling hills, steep cliffs, fantastic caves and farming villages.
　　yangshuo County is worth a visit. It’s a perfect place to experience China’s traditional rural culture and ways of life. here, one can marvel at Chinese agricultural ingenuity, taking in tiered paddy fields and historical architecture.
　　on yangshuo’s West Street, the county’s main tourist attraction, there are many shops, restaurants, cafes and bars. There are also specialized schools for foreigners interested in learning how to cook Chinese cuisine, or taiji and other traditional Chinese martial arts.
　　There are several ethnic minority groups who hail from and inhabit the mountainous region around guilin, including the Zhuang, yao, Miao and Dong peoples. Communicating and interacting with these different cultures can be a fresh experience for tourists.
　　guilin’s cuisine is known for its use of spices, especially chili. guilin chili sauce, used widely by locals, is made of fresh chili, garlic and fermented soybeans, and is considered one of the city’s “Three Treasures.”The other two are guilin sanhua jiu, a kind of liquor distilled from rice, and guilin pickled tofu. guilin rice noodles have been a local breakfast staple for centuries, and they are known for their delicate taste across China.