Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China

🇨🇳 Guilin is a prefecture-level city in the north-east of China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. It is situated on the west bank of the Li River and borders Hunan to the north. Its name means "forest of sweet osmanthus", owing to the large number of fragrant sweet osmanthus trees located in the region. The city has long been renowned for its scenery of karst topography.

Guilin is one of China's most popular tourist destinations, and the epithet "By water, by mountains, most lovely, Guilin" (山水甲天下) is often associated with the city. The State Council of China has designated Guilin a National Famous Historical and Cultural City, doing so in the first edition of the list.

Guilin administers seventeen county-level divisions, including 6 districts, 8 counties, 2 autonomous counties, and 1 county-level city. • District: ◦ Xiufeng District (秀峰区) ◦ Xiangshan District (象山区) ◦ Diecai District (叠彩区) ◦ Qixing District (七星区) ◦ Yanshan District (雁山区) ◦ Lingui District (临桂区) • County-level city: ◦ Lipu city (荔浦市) • County: ◦ Yangshuo County (阳朔县) ◦ Lingchuan County (灵川县) ◦ Xing'an County (兴安县) ◦ Quanzhou County (全州县) ◦ Yongfu County (永福县) ◦ Ziyuan County (资源县) ◦ Guanyang County (灌阳县) ◦ Pingle County (平乐县) • Autonomous county: ◦ Gongcheng Yao Autonomous County (恭城瑶族自治县) ◦ Longsheng Various Nationalities Autonomous County (龙胜各族自治县).

Economy • The GDP per capita was ¥41891 (ca. US$6569) in 2020, ranked no. 134 among 659 Chinese cities. • Local industries: condoms, pharmaceutical goods, tires, machinery, fertilizer, silk, perfume, wine, tea, cinnamon, herbal medicine • Local agricultural products: Shatian Pomelo, summer orange, Fructus Momordicae, ginkgo, moon persimmon, Lipu Taro, Sanhua Alcohol, pepper sauce, fermented bean curd, Guilin Rice Noodle, water chestnut, grain, fish and dried bean milk cream in tight rolls.

Until 1949 only a thermal power plant, a cement works, and some small textile mills existed as signs of industrialisation in Guilin. However, since the 1950s Guilin has added electronics, engineering and agricultural equipment, medicine, rubber, buses, textile and cotton yarn factories. Food processing, including the processing of local agricultural produce, remains the most important industry. More recent and modern industry features high technology, and the tertiary industry characterised by tourism trading and service.

Transport: Air The airport is Guilin Liangjiang International Airport(ICAO:ZGKL, IATA:KWL). Airlines that fly to the airport are: • China Eastern • Asiana Airlines • China Southern • Air China • Hainan Airlines • Shanghai Airlines • Shandong Airlines • Xiamen Airlines • Tianjin Airlines • EVA Air • Air Asia • Beijing Capital Airlines • Hebei Airlines.

Transport: Rail Guilin has the most high-speed rail stations out of all cities in China. There is Guilin North, Guilin West, Guilin and a new station in the Lingui District. Guilin station and Guilin North station are on the Hunan–Guangxi railway, Hengyang–Liuzhou intercity railway and Guiyang–Guangzhou high-speed railway, the main railways connecting Guangxi with central and southern China. Arriving at North station, high-speed trains between Guilin and Changsha and Beijing came into operation in December 2013. In December 2014, high-speed operations began connecting Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Guiyang, and Shanghai. This made it more convenient for people to come to Guilin. It takes only about 2 or 3 hours from Guangzhou to Guilin, 9 hours from Shanghai to Guilin and 13 hours from Beijing to Guilin. Trains traveling between Kunming South and West Kowloon stations (for example) stop at Guilin West railway station.

Urban The city's public transportation includes bus routes and taxis. Guilin is the leading city in Mainland China operating double-decker buses regularly on major routes; in its main street the double-deckers run one-by-one almost every minute. Sightseeing boats also run on the city's canals and lakes.

A Guilin Metro is planned for 7 lines by 2040 with 117 stations and a total length of 273.2 kilometres. Line 1 is planned to have been opened by 2025, and it will be 29.23 km with 13 stations.

Education: University • Guilin University of Technology • Guilin Medical University • Guilin University of Electronic Technology • Guangxi Normal University • Guilin University of Aerospace Technology (桂林航天工业学院).