A visit to Guilin has been compared to jumping into a Chinese landscape painting. Chinese and western travelers alike flock to this celebrated scenic wonder of lush valleys and rivers nestled among jagged cone-shaped karst ( eroded limestone ) formations. During the Qin Dynasty ( 221-206 B.C ), Guilin, then an ancient market town, gained recognition as a river transport hub with the completion of the Ling Canal in 214 B.C which connected the Pearl and Yangtze rivers systems. Many historical sites and cultural relics have been left behind in Guilin since then. Guilin became the political center for Guangxi Region since Tang Dynasty ( 618-907 A.D.) and its economy and culture developed rapidly. Under the Song Dynasty ( 960-1280 A.D.), Guilin was not only the political ,economic and cultural center in Guangxi, but also one of the most important cities in southern China and was known as "Capital City of Southwestern China".
Now travelers from all over the world come in increasing numbers. More than 35 heads of state from different countries have been visited Guilin, and more than half a million travelers came from abroad only in 2001.