China Traveling

The city of Guilin, former capital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (or “Guangxi”), is considered by the Chinese themselves as China’s most picturesque city. Guilin also ranks second on the “Ten Best” list of Chinese tourist destinations, i.e., second only to Beijing itself. Guilin is situated in the northeastern quadrant of Guangxi, almost due west of Hong Kong, from which it can be reached by air in an hour’s time. The city’s name means “forest of Sweet Osmanthus” (”gui” means “osmanthus tree” while “lin” means “forest”, Osmanthus fragrans, or sweet osmanthus, being a bushy, evergreen shrub common to China, Japan, the U.S. and the Middle East, whose white, scented blossoms – called “cinnamon flowers”, or “cassia flowers” – are used to flavor certain teas). Guilin also has an interesting history as an imperial Chinese military outpost and as a military headquarters for one of the armies of the Republic of China, which was formed after the collapse of China’s last imperial dynasty, the Qing (CE 1644-1911) Dynasty. It also has an interesting prehistory.