Guilin Travel Guide

Guilin Rice Noodles: the "grandmaster" level among rice noodles nationwide. Brine-poached dishes rice noodles (dry-tossed) is the authentic way to eat it—first eat the dry noodles, then add soup at the end. Must-eat: Guilin Rice Noodles (Lao Dongjiang/Chongshan/Shiji), Beer Fish (a must-eat in Yangshuo, sword-bone fish is the most tender), Lipu Taro with Pork Belly, Tianluo Niang (stuffed river snails), Water Chestnut Cake, Songgao (sponge cake). Spice level: overall not spicy to mildly spicy. The chili for Guilin Rice Noodles is added by yourself. Flavor: savory-umami + sour (pickled sour beans/pickled sour bamboo shoots). Vegetarian friendliness: average. Rice noodles can be made vegetarian. Stuffed dishes are mostly meat-based.

2 days: D1 Guilin city area: Elephant Trunk Hill + Two Rivers and Four Lakes + Zhengyang Pedestrian Street + old Guilin rice noodle shop; D2 Li River highlights tour (Yangdi → Xingping, bamboo raft 1.5h / cruise 4h) + Xingping Ancient Town + 20-yuan background check-in + Yangshuo West Street at night. 3-4 days: Add D3 Yangshuo Yulong River bamboo raft drift (more beautiful than the Li River!) + Ten-Mile Gallery cycling + Silver Cave karst cave, D4 Longji Rice Terraces 1-day tour (most beautiful in the water-filled season from May to October). Budget (per person): Budget type 800-1500 yuan / Comfort type 2000-3500 yuan / Light luxury type 4000-6000 yuan.

Guilin rice noodles = the ancestor of Guangxi rice noodles (Guangxi's four great rice noodles: Guilin rice noodles / Liuzhou luosifen / Nanning laoyou noodles / Binyang sour noodles). The essence of Guilin rice noodles is the braising liquid (luoshui)—a concentrated braising broth made by simmering dozens of spices (star anise / cassia bark / dried tangerine peel / tsaoko / cloves / licorice / Sichuan peppercorn / sand ginger, etc.) + pork bones/beef bones for several hours. The rice noodles (fresh wet rice noodles, best made the same day) are blanched in rolling water for a dozen or so seconds, then topped with a ladle of braising liquid + braised beef/guoshao (deep-fried pork belly, the soul side dish of Guilin rice noodles, crispy outside and tender inside) + sour beans + sour bamboo shoots + peanuts + chili. The correct way to eat Guilin rice noodles: first eat the noodles dry-tossed, then add bone broth to the remaining bit of braising liquid + toppings at the bottom of the bowl—one noodle dish, two ways (dry first, then soup). Guilin locals say luosifen cannot represent Guangxi rice noodles—because luosifen is an internet-famous food that only took off in the last 20 years, while Guilin rice noodles have a history of 2000+ years (invented by soldiers when the Lingqu Canal was dug in the Qin Dynasty). Guilin recommendations: Lao Dongjiang Rice Noodles / Chongshan Rice Noodles / Shiji Rice Noodles (in a small alley on Chongshan Road).