Guilin & Yangshuo 桂林 & 阳朔 (Winter break trip)

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Just the bare minimum of explaination for this entry:

The cities of Guilin and Yangshuo were definitely the highlight of the trip in terms of scenery and cultural spots, but unfortunately it was also the worst weather of the voyage. For Chinese standards Guilin is a very small city, but nonetheless very famous for its interesting topography and parks. Located in the northeast corner of Guangxi Province, this part of China is speckled with incredibly beautiful sedimentary spires almost everywhere you look. Even smaller than Guilin, the city of Yangshuo lies an hour and a half south and boasts dramatic scenery and tons of bars and restaurants to attract foreigners and domestic toursists alike. Running on a north-south axis, the Li River connects the two cities and provides tourists with an alternative mode of transportation: cruise boat. Too bad for me, I arrived during the low season and there were no boats running.

All said and done, even the terrible weather of low 40's and rain/sleet couldn't ruin the majesty of the landscape. I'm really happy that I was able to see this part of China and it's definitely on the list of "need to find time to get back to cities." I only hope that the weather will be better next time.

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Photos

Guilin
Ok just kidding, this is a painting. I needed to throw it in here because this is what Guilin and this area of Guangxi Province is supposed to look like. Unfortunately the weather was a total letdown the whole time I was there, but definitely still worth seeing.

Qi Xing Gong Yuan--Seven Star Park
"If you only go to one place in Guilin, make it the seven star park." This piece of advice coming from lonely planet travel guide book.

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Bridge leading into the park from the main entrance. The park consists of a handful of small peaks, a zoo, a tomb and a large cave. I spent most of one day just walking around here and snapping pictures.

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This is the famous Li River. Unfortunately for me, I was there for the low season so I couldn't take the very popular cruise boat and really see the Guangxi scenery.

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Looking out over Guilin city. Again, the weather was terrible so you can barely make out the mountain spires in the distance.

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Camel mountain. Pretty fitting.

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Unlike Mr. Bush, former president Bill Clinton is very well received in China. When I asked some of my students who is running for president in the US, nearly everyone knows Hillary, maybe half know Barack and not a single one could name a republican candidate.

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Not necessarily what comes to mind when you think of panda, but nonetheless here is one. This little guy is a lesser or red panda.

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Entrance to the Seven Star Cave.

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While walking the remainder of the way up this path, I was prepared to battle it out with some monkeys.