Cave
A floodlit limestone cavern of stalactites and mirror pools, named for the reeds at its mouth once cut into flutes.
Palace of Natural Arts · Reed Flute Cave · Guilin
Terraces#Nature
Longji Rice Terraces
Guilin4.88 hr 40 min17k saved
The 'Dragon's Backbone' terraces near Longsheng spiral up the mountains in stacked paddies first carved in the Yuan dynasty. Two areas: Ping'an (Zhuang) and the grander, more layered Jinkeng (Yao) with cable car and three viewpoints. Time it right — flooded silver mirrors in spring, vivid green in summer, gold before the autumn harvest. Stay overnight in a wooden village guesthouse to catch the terraces at dawn.
Good to know
- Best time — morning — Morning to mid-afternoon for light + to return before dark; sunrise/sunset spectacular but require an overnight.
- Open scenic area, accessible daytime (villages always open - arrive in daylight); no fixed gate hours; Dazhai cable car daytime ho
- Jinkeng/Dazhai is more dramatic than Ping'an
- Stay overnight for sunrise over the paddies
- Cable car saves a steep climb at Jinkeng
Insider tip — Choose by mobility - Dazhai (Jinkeng) for the cable car + steeper grander terraces with fewer day-trippers, Ping'an for gentler walking; start early.
More in Guilin
Hill
A hill shaped exactly like an elephant dipping its trunk into the river — Guilin's emblem, best caught reflected at golden hour.
The Elephant That Drinks the Li · Elephant Trunk Hill · Guilin
Pagoda
A bronze pagoda and a glazed-tile twin rising side by side from the lake, blazing gold against the dark after sunset.
Twin Flames on Shan Lake · Sun & Moon Pagodas · Guilin
Old Street
A 1,400-year-old cobbled lane gone gloriously global — lanterns, live music, beer fish and backpackers from everywhere.
The Global Village Lane · Yangshuo West Street · Guilin