With unbelievable landscapes and a beautiful winding river, Guilin city in Guangxi Province of China is a perfect venue for quiet contemplative Chinese study. Students will appreciate not only the spectacular limestone peaks but also the diversity of Guangxi province's many different ethnic minority groups. By cycling through remote villages or rafting along river, visitors to Guilin will find plenty of relaxing ways to balance their academic studies. The place lives out the Chinese saying: the mountains and rivers in Guilin are number one under heaven.

Guangxi Autonomous Region borders on Vietnam in the southwest and faces the Beibu Bay in the south. The autonomously governed region is surrounded by mountains on all sides, and is the province in China with the widest spread of karst rock peaks. Guilin itself has a modest urban population of 600,000. Guilin offers many activities for its many domestic and international visitors: learning ethnic customs and habits by touring towns and villages, visiting the Sino-Vietnamese border area, and relaxing at the Beibu Bay beach are just some of the local highlights.

Aside from the flourishing tourist industry, most of Guilin's economy is agricultural. Local products include Chinese medical herbs, fertilizer, silk, perfume, wine, tea, and cinnamon. Guangxi's fruit are subtropical, with seasonal pomelo (a type of grapefruit), orange, and moon persimmon among the most prized. Other local specialties include water chestnuts, fermented bean curd, and Guilin rice noodles, a local breakfast dish.

Throughout Chinese history, Guilin has been a destination of poets and artists, entranced by the amazing landscapes. Rarely has Guilin been the center of political life, although in 1921, the Northern Expeditionary Force led by Dr. Sun Yat-Sen briefly had its headquarters in the city. In 1940, the city acquired its present name, which means Forest of the Osymantus trees. In 1981, this ancient city was listed by the State Council as one of the four cities (the other three being Beijing, Hangzhou and Suzhou) where the protection of historical and cultural heritage, as well as natural scenery, were given priority treatment.