GUILIN, and the picturesque county around the Li River, offers an ideal base for a short holiday.
The area, described as the most beautiful in China, has inspired countless poets through the ages, and is a popular destination for honeymooners. It has the added advantage of being within easy reach of Hong Kong.
Guilin's popularity has increased over the years, and tourist facilities are well developed. Accommodation at all levels is available, from five-star hotels to budget establishments.
No matter the resting place, sightseeing is best done from a bicycle, easily and cheaply hired from the hotels. Guilin itself can be sampled in a day's gentle ride, visiting shopping areas and open markets that sell everything from beds to bean soup withnoodles.
Riding out from town, the strange outlines of the karst landscape dominate, weather-worn limestone formations providing a striking backdrop to the rice paddies along the way.
Ludi Yan, or Reed Flute Cave, 15 kilometres to the northeast, is an extensive network of natural caves and galleries. The Thousand Buddha Cave, on Fubo Hill, has many carved images on its walls, and other hills in the area provide excellent views back toGuilin.
A trip to this region is not complete without a journey down the Li River to Yangshuo. The six-hour cruise winds through spectacular scenery.