East or West, Guilin is the best. Since the spreading of the saying, Guilin’s picturesque landscape has become world-renowned. Guilin city is built among plentiful rivers and lakes that are connected and linked together; the essence of it is the Two Rivers and Four Lakes. Two Rivers and Four Lakes is a continuous waterway through the centre of Guilin City which includes the Li River (Li Jiang), the Peach Blossom River (Taohua Jiang), Chinese Fir Lake (Shan Hu), Banyan Lake (Rong Hu), Osmanthus Lake (Gui Hu) and Wooden Dragon Lake (Mulong Hu). Cruise boats to view Guilin’s tranquil mountain and water scenery around the route run daytime and evening.

A complete moat river system was formed in Guilin over 1,000 years ago, when water recreation and tourism had been highly fashionable at that time. The Two Rivers and Four Lakes came into form at the turn of this century. As the most important component of the mountains and waters in Guilin, Li River twists and turns among the mountains like a Chinese ink painting. Taohua River was a branch of Li River and they benefit from each other’s beauty.

Four Lakes system can be divided into three areas which embody three different themes: Banyan and Fir Lake Area, Gui Lake Area and Mulong Lake Area. Banyan and Fir Lake Area locates in the middle of Guilin city, bordering the Central Plaza in the north and facing Lijiang River in the south. As an open leisure walking park in Guilin, it represents the perfect combination of Guilin city and its landscapes.

Chi Shan Luo Xia (Sunset of Fir Lake), Rong Hu Chun Xiao (Spring of Banyan Lake), Ancient South Door is the hot attraction in this area. Measuring over 1,700 meters (1 mile) from north to south and about 110 meters (120 yards) wide, Gui Lake was originally the city moat of the western Guilin City in Song Dynasty (960-1279).

A large number of precious arbors and flowers are planted in the Gui Lake Area, including banyan tree garden, gingko garden, white pines garden, redwood garden, magnolia garden and palm garden. With the outlet dam of Peach Blossom as the main attraction, Gui Lake Spot is featured by natural sceneries and has become an exhibition park of flowers, trees, pavilions and bridges. Mulong Lake area features the integration of historical culture into the nature, highlighting the cultural continuities of the city. A large scale of building complex is scattered around including Song-style shopping street, ancient-style Baojishan Mountain Park and 45-meter-high Mulong Pagoda.

The recommended way of visiting Two Rivers and Four Lakes is strolling along the lakeshore line or take a cruise boat. A boat cruise is will be a feast to your eyes as in the evening as the lakes and rivers are beautifully lit up by colorful lights.