Guilin

Guilin or Kweilin, city (1994 est. pop. 707,200), N Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, S China, on the Gui River. It is a transportation center, with connections by rail, river, and road. Paper products, textiles, chemicals, and agricultural equipment are manufactured in the city, and minerals such as tin and tungsten are found nearby. Guilin is known for its beautiful karst scenery, often pictured by Chinese landscape painters. Many famous Buddhist monasteries are in the area. A U.S. air force base was there during World War II. Guilin was once capital of Guangxi prov. The name sometimes appears as Kuei-lin.

History

In 314 BC, a small settlement was established along the banks of the Li River.

In 111 BC, during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Shi An County was established, which could be regarded as the beginning of the city.

In 507 AD, the town was renamed Guizhou.

Guilin prospered in the Tang and Song Dynasties but remained a county. The city was also a nexus between the central government and the southwest border, and it was where regular armies were placed to guard that border. Canals were built through the city so that food supplies could be directly transported from the food-productive Yangtze plain to the farthest southwestern point of the empire.

During the Ming Dynasty, Guilin became the capital of Guangxi, due to its immense role in the province.

In 1914, Nanning, another center of the province and a heroic city with more than 1,600 years of history, replaced Guilin as the provincial capital.

In 1921, Guilin became one of the headquarters of the Northern Expeditionary Army led by Dr. Sun Yat-sen.

In 1940, the city acquired its present name. In 1981, this ancient city was listed by the State Council as one of the four cities (the other three being Beijing, Hangzhou and Suzhou) where the protection of historical and cultural heritage, as well as natural scenery, should be treated as a priority project.

Attractions

The Jingjiang Princes City is a royal complex dating from the Ming Dynasty that lies near the center of modern Guilin.

Other scenic spots around Guilin include:

Guilin Dining

Guilin cuisine is known for its sweetness and delicate use of spice and chili. It is a especially good place to taste snack food. Bamboo leaves stuffed with sweet rice and rice noodles are the two great snacks available all over Guilin. Local specialties also include turtle soup and bamboo rat.

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