Best Scenery of Hills and Rivers under Heaven
When the former president of the United States Bill Clinton visited Guilin in 1998, he observed that “nowhere is like Guilin”. Indeed as the old saying of china, “Guilin has the best scenery(of hills and rivers)under heaven. Guilin and the surrounding region are among the most scenic areas in China and the most popular tourist destinations both for Chinese travelers and international guests. Guilin is the hub for trips to the surrounding area's karst terrain, limestone mountains eroded into fantastic shapes. Apart from its sheer visual beauty, karst terrain also provides many cliffs suitable for rock climbing and many caves. There are many scenic places within short traveling distance of Guilin. These include Longsheng with its famous Longji rice terraces; the Lijiang River, a scene of which is printed on the back of ¥20 banknotes; and Yangshuo, a small county downstream from Guilin. This makes Guilin an excellent base for exploring the northern end of Guangxi Province.