Guilin, in Chinese, means “a grove of osmanthus.” The osmanthus is, therefore, in every way representative of Guilin. From the way that osmanthus trees wave fragrance in their native habitat, to the way that its tiny yellow flowers perfume in coffee, the osmanthus stands tall in all things Guilin, in its nature, its craftsmanship and its food.

Our driver Xiaohuang came to the train station to greet us. On a 20-minute journey between the train station and our hotel, we gathered some first impressions of Guilin City. Despite its good name in offering the most beautiful scenery, Guilin City is very much a third-tier city. The buildings are old, but they did not age so gracefully. The city seemed to be a case of high hopes dashed. It appeared tired from development, or overdevelopment, that has fallen short of the expectation. The streets were not exactly clean, and certainly not calm. It had a vibe in every way reminiscent of the China I knew about 25 years ago, when chaos seemed to rule a regular day in the city.

Arrival in the Elephant Trunk Hill Hotel

The Elephant Trunk Hill Hotel was the choice for our stay in Guilin city because of its location. It is just a five-minute walk from the Elephant Trunk Hill, which is namely the most famous scenic spot in Guilin.

As a hotel in the medium price range, it offers very spacious and clean rooms. The only issue we had was a flight of stairs to climb before entering the lobby, as we have the elderly with us. There was simply no option for an elevator.

The Duckbill Fish as the Star of the Show for Our First Meal in Guilin

In Guangxi, the beer fish is a local specialty offered to tourists and locals alike. In the big cities, beer fish is commonplace as the go-to hotpot meal. According to our driver Xiaohuang, every city has its own way of making the beer fish. I have had beer fish in Yangshuo during my last trip to Guilin. As it turned out, I had beer fish in Guilin City and Yangshuo in this trip as well. True to Xiaohuang’s word, every restaurant has a different interpretation of what this dish entails. It can range from near-horrible to just fantastic.

Well, in our first meal in Guilin, we had a beer fish pot. The star of the show was the duckbill fish, known scientifically as the sturgeon. This was a near-horrible beer fish for us.

Perhaps this odd fish was considered something of a novelty to tourists. Surely, it was a novelty for us. If you look at its appearance, you would not think that this type of a fish would be edible. It looked like a duck that had grown up wrongly, or a platypus that grew fin and fishtail. Without seeing the body, you would think it really was a duck’s head—although its elongated snout is perhaps a bit longer than a regular duck’s bill.

After we ordered, we were taken to the fish tank to witness the selection of the duckbill fish that would end up at our dining table. My aunt had a lot of fun playing with it, but it all went downhill from there.

First of all, this duckbill fish did not taste fresh even though it was purportedly slaughtered before being cooked. It had to do with the way that the fish was cooked. It was coasted in a thick layer of flour, deep fried, before serving with the sauce in a hot pot. This way of preparation was sure to overwhelm the natural flavors of the fish.

As a fish without scales, the duckbill fish is naturally on the fatty side. It was surely quite meaty, but we did not find it to taste particularly good as a freshwater catch. Apparently, the duckbill fish is native in the United States. China successfully introduced this species in its waters and they are in good numbers now, though it was once in the protected category.

Secondly, we were charged by the weight of the fish. It only makes sense that the duck bill, which was not edible, made up a large part of the price that we paid. No, the duck bill was not served at the table either. Its significance lied only in the fish being alive as an odd looking creature.

Perhaps this first restaurant was the very worst of all that Xiaohuang recommended. He told us that we should have ordered a set meal, but we ordered the dishes separately, and it was certainly expensive. The other dishes were no good as well.

I went to bed somewhat dissatisfied, but China has an abundance of good food to offer. This first meal in Guilin might have been the very worst we had throughout this trip. I was, however, too excited about the Longji terraced fields the next day to worry about the food.

Source

iNEWS, A Duck-billed sturgeon with a duck’s bill and the same eating habits as silver carp.

In early December, the beautiful bald cypress at the Dafushan Forest Park had not yet turned red. There was a whole afternoon of free time, so I decided to take my family for a stroll at the Dafushan Forest Park anyway. In the wintertime, when the bald cypress has turned red, the area turns into exceptionally beautiful scenery.

The Dafushan Forest Park in Panyu

Unlike most other modern urban parks in China, the Dafushan Forest Park comes with some interesting legends. It is said that, during Panyu’s time as the capital of the Nanyue Kingdom, the state minister of Han dynasty, Lujia, came to Panyu to persuade Zhao Tuo, the King of Wu, to agree to subsume the Nanyue Kingdom under the Han dynasty’s rule. It was here in Dafushan Forest Park that the messenger became very thirsty. Legend has it that, when his horse stomped the ground, a fresh water source appeared right away to quench his thirst. Therefore, the “Horse Drinking Spring” stands in the western part of Dafushan Forest Park to this day.

It is said that Lujia, as a state minister of Han dynasty, “dafu,” was buried here as well. Thus the name Dafushan (Dafu Mountain) for this park.

Besides this legend that originated from the very ancient times, there is also the grave of a certain Li Juchuan, dated to the more recent Song dynasty. This burial site has significance, in that the prominent figures of the Li family throughout its history are engraved onto flagpole of the burial site. This is considered an unusual practice. The ancient tomb is located in the mid hill range on Dawugang, which is the highest mountain in Dafushan Forest Park.

A Short Walk in Dafushan Forest Park

Its name bearing the word “forest” does suggest the scale of Dafushan Forest Park. The park area is enormous with 580 hectares. In the park are 9 mounts of varying heights, the highest mountain is the Dawugang at 226.6 meters high. The park was open to the public in 1999 after the first phase of construction was completed.

Needless to say, such a large area of natural environ would be perfect for a whole lot of natural species. Before being turned into the park, the area featured relatively few species of trees, such as Pinus massoniana and Acacia Mangium. Thereafter, more species were introduced into its ecosphere, mostly consisting of bauhinia and other ornamental trees.

On this early winter day I had my family with me. We have some old folks and so the walk had to be kept at the minimum. We entered the park via the North Gate, and spent about an hour in that area.

Suffice to say, that there are a whole lot of waterfront areas, although some are manmade lakes. The park is very shaded with large grounds as sitting areas, very suitable for picnic. It will take a full day to walk through some of the significant spots in the park.

One can only imagine how beautiful the scenery would be during the red foliage season. That is planned for next year’s wintertime.

Sources

The Wikipedia on Dafushan Forest Park (Chin).

Baidu.com on Dafushan Forest Park (Chin).