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vbx000 Guilin - A travel report by Veronica
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Guilin,  China - flag China -  Guangxi
7919 readers

vbx000's travel reports

Guilin- A Beautiful City in Southern China

  15 votes
Page: 1 2
I spent 2 days in Guilin on a week long trip around the southern Guangxi Province. Great city, with scenic spots that reminded you of Crouching Tiger or House of Flying Daggers... or maybe I just really wish I was a kung fu badass.


View from Reed Flute Cave. We hiked to the top of a mountain to get away from the tourists.
View from Reed Flute Cave. We hiked to the top of a mountain to get away from the tourists.
Guilin is a great city with a little bit of everything. Really crappy tourist traps like Reed Flute Cave, great scenic spots like Elephant Trunk Hill, a crossroads like shopping district that I've deemed Mini Nanjing Lu because it reminded me of a smaller version of the shopping street in Shanghai and tasty food. Yes, Yes, thats right- I actually ate the Chinese food in Guilin. I know, big shock and I like it a lot. Go team! No starbucks though. Just because my report isn't the same without a mention of qingbake.

Favourite spots:
Elephant Trunk Hill was really pretty, despite the threat of being a horrid tourist trap. Even I, your often pessismistic, quick to bark 20 year old college kid was happy with this site. Mini Nanjing Lu offered a wide variety of shopping fun and skewers gallore. They will skewer anything those crazy Chinese, and it always tastes oh so good. Although, I think the art students followed us all the way from Beijing to attempt to lure us into those art studios. They were a little bit older than the average Tiananmen square art student/venus fly trap and a lot nicer. One man took us to his sisters tea house and we sampled a variety of Chinese tea. Yes, i did end up buying a piece of artwork but whatever. Win some, lose some. Chinese Art students:1 Veronica: 0

What's really great:
Again, Elephant Trunk Hill and Mini Nanjing Lu. Can't go wrong with the skewers. Really, I wish the US had skewers like China has skewers. They can put absolutley anything on a stick and grill it over flame and make a tasty special snack. Or in a deep frier. Either way it comes out a tasty special snack. Even more special if its a mystery meat.

Sights:
Funny right? C-mon thats funny!
Funny right? C-mon thats funny!
Reed Flute Caves is just a huge tourist trap. The caves are full of mostly dead stalactites because they took absolutely no measures to preserve them and let people run their hands all over anything plus the addition of neon reds, greens and oranges make it look like a really cold, damp underground club instead of a naturally beautiful cave. Blah. Damn tourism.

Also, there are a ton of vendors that are more than willing ot take your hard earned RMB in exchange for crap. But, again, I did buy a bone painted display with each plate of bone depicting a different sexual act/position between a Chinese couple. Its some pretty hot action actually. I think I paid 10 RMB for it, so don't pay more than that. It'll be a good gag gift for my best bud back home.

Accommodations:
View from our hotel window. City of Guilin.
View from our hotel window. City of Guilin.
Hey, I wrote it down this time! Aren't you all proud?

Guilin Unverisal Hotel
0773-2828228

Great hotel, with good rooms although the front is under construction.

GREAT western breakfast. best I've had in China. Just stay there for the western breakfast, its that good. You see, China isn't so good at breakfast. They just, eat the same things you eat at lunch and dinner, except cold, for breakfast. So, this was quite the treat and we all boarded the bus filled with western breakfast goodness.

Nightlife:
There is this one club on Mini Nanjing Lu that is impossible to miss. At the center of the crossroads its to the right. Purple and red neon lights I think, I want to say that the name is something like VC Club or something really really simple. Inside is red velvet chairs and its a really chill atmosphere. Not quite as chill as pulling up a chair next to the skewer people and gorging on their tasty treats all night but close.

The girls are almost strippers, probably prostitues that dance on poles if you are into that kind of thing.

Restaurants:
This one restaurant that we stumbled upon was really good. Again, no clue. But here are a few dishes that never fail in China:

Gongpo Jiding (GungPow GDing): Chicken and Peanuts
Shelanhua(hua= who+ah ish): Broccali (if everything else fails this one always wins. Simple but always good)
Jidan Chaofan: Egg fried rice
Sizzling beef or beef and potatoes
Jiaozi: Chinese dumplings, fried or steamed always delicious (G-owe zah)
Disanqian: eggplant, potatoe, green pepper

Careful with chicken dishes because they are often really pricey and come bones and all. Although, Gongpo is always a safe choice.

Also, sometimes just saying a kind of meat, and veggies that you like works. If you like it spicey or not. And, they'll put something tasty together. My favorite speaking combo when I dont know it Yangrou (Lamb), moguo (mushroom) huanggua (Cucumber) bu la (not hot)
It's never failed me.
Use a dictioinary and just point to the ingrediants you want that bypasses the need to speak.

Other recommendations:
Sorry that I didn't take very many pictures. This is my last trip in China and well, I'm really all out of picture taking umph. I took a few more in the next couple stops but my picture taking was a bit lacking this week. I was too busy relaxing, eating skewers and shopping.

Published on Saturday November 5th, 2005


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Sun, Nov 06 2005 - 11:47 AM rating by jorgesanchez

Another top report on China!
Did you reach Kashi, or Kashgar in Sinkiang? I invite you to read my report on globo about that mysterious town.
Cheers

Sun, Nov 06 2005 - 05:00 AM rating by downundergal

Amusing.
Cheers,
Kerrie

Sat, Nov 05 2005 - 12:20 PM rating by rangutan

Delicious food, I think I would enjoy it, sounds a bit like my wifes filipino cooking! Another superb report on China. One day a lot us are going to visit there and need this information. Well written and nice layout, even only three pictures make a good impression.

Sat, Nov 05 2005 - 12:02 PM rating by davidx

You're right, the pics do make a difference but it's still a really good report. I hope you continue to produce these long after you stop being an 'often pessismistic, quick to bark 20 year old college kid.'

Sat, Nov 05 2005 - 11:48 AM rating by toribio

I LIKE A LOT VERY MUCH

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