Was there a time when Rongjiang was completely submerged under the ocean? The limestone protrusions suggest it.
Welcome to Rongjiang. It is a town in Guilin. Guilin is a celebrated destination in Southern China. It’s known as the “Sweet Osmanthus Forest”. This is due to the fragrant sweet osmanthus trees in the region.
Guilin has a rich plant life. It has more than just the dominant Sweet Osmanthus. Rongjiang, like Guilin, is set apart by natural boundaries. The Nan Mountains section it off from mainland China. This explains its administrative status.
Around a dozen small ethnic groups call Guilin home. The Zhuang ethnic group is the largest. Guilin ranks as the third largest in the Guangxi region. Nanning and Liuzhou are larger.
The Li River meanders through Guilin. Most of Guilin lies on the western bank of this river. This river is widely dubbed to be the soul of Guilin. It exists as the radial focal point of all the majestic views.
The Karsts are perhaps the pick of the views. The Karsts of Guilin are magical land formations. These mountains seem like mounds bursting through the earth. It is a truly magical site. You can spend hours tracing the beautiful outlines of the Karsts.
The land formations seem to display human-like character at different times of the day. They constantly change due to the weather. Guilin Karsts under fog look different than in direct sunlight. This gives the optical illusion of a changing topography.
Karst caves and stone forests also exist here. The Reed Flute Cave is most representative of this area. Guilin is in a subtropical and monsoon zone. The climate is warm and moist.
Settlements in Guilin date back to 310-314 BC. The early settlers were drawn to the Li River banks. Formal documentation of the city began about 200 years later. This was during the Han Dynasty. The Shi An County was established then.
The city was renamed Guizhou around 507 AD. It finally became Guilin in 1940. The beauty of the city makes Guilin a preferred tourist destination. It pulls people because of the sightseeing alone.