Local Culture

Guilin Culture

Landscape Culture: Guilin with a profound cultural deposit is famous for its mountains and waters. Its essence is the culture of central plains and its source is from the Lin Canal of Xingan County. Lin Canal is connected to Yangtze River and Zhu River which transmits culture of central plains to the whole south of the Five Ridges. There is a old saying goes: There is Great Wall in the north and Lin Canal in the south; Guo Moruo thought that Lin Canal is in an echo of the Great Wall in the direction of south and north which are regarded as the wonders in the world; Jian Bozan said: “One fails to reach the Lin Canal will not know the Emperor Qin, which is regarded as the remark of academic school to Lin Canal”.

There is a carrier that can be seen and touched in the culture of Guilin mountains and waters which is a large collection of ancient stone tablets. Inscriptions on precipices in Guilin are as many as more than 2000 which is the world top 1. Among these inscriptions, Mi Fu self-portrait in the Fubo Mountain is called the national cultural treasure. Therefore, there has always a saying that “To see the mountain is to see the pictures; to read the mountain is to read the history” when you are traveling in Guilin. Artistic cultural history is integrated with mountains and waters which can be rated as the excellent interpretation of the unity of human and nature.

The whole Guilin City is a sign of mountains and waters culture. Among the mountains and waters, it is a appropriate place for Chinese to settle down in physics and psychology. Jingjiang City is a city in the Guilin City, of which Solitary Beauty Peak is the center. The stretching to the east and west and skyrocket and exquisite Diecai Mountain is the back of Solitary Beauty Peak and Jingjiang City. In the north of Jingjiang City, there exist two mountain named Tiefeng and Parrot served as its protective screen, Li River as its shelter in the east, Gui Lake as supporter in the west and Rongshan Lake as addictive scenery in the south. An unparalleled city with mountains and waters emerges in the sea surface with Taohua River and Elephant Hill, Fubo Mountain and the smart ornament of Baoji Mountain.

In addition, central culture has driven straight by Lin Canal from the north to the south which has brought poems and philosophy, opened cultural and educational system and brought advanced theory to Guilin people. In the Southern Dynasties, Yan Tingzhi, as reputed as Yan Xie, was served as a official in Guilin who read and wrote in the Solitary Beauty Peak all the year round and become a messenger in the culture of Guilin. Later one, in the food of Solitary Beauty Peak, Tang Dynasty School was built in the ancient time which was the first school in the history of Guilin. In the examination hall of Qing Dynasty, there were four No.1 scholars produced which ranked the fifth in the whole China. Their names are still remained in the Jingjiang City. In modern time, Guangxi Normal University is the best university in humanities. It is obvious to see that Reading Cliff titled by the name of Yan Yanzhi has become the center of Guilin culture and education which will be inherited and handed down for a thousand years.

Folk Culture: There are 28 ethnic groups inhabited in Guilin such as Yao, Tong, Zhuang, Miao, etc. These ethnic groups have brought rich folk customs and social wedding customs.

The traditional dance of Yao ethnic group is Long-drum dance (yellow mud drum) which is graceful and vivid in dancing. Tong nationality has its own folk opera—Tong Opera which is plentiful in contents and rich in atmosphere. They are good at art of architecture. Their excellent technique can be presented from the Shelter Bridge and Drum Tower. As to Yao ethnic group, their “Oil tea” shows a deep friendship. Zhuang ethnic group has their own “Singing Fair Festival” (also called March 3rd) and unique in throwing a embroidered ball, carrying bride, singing in an antiphonal style. Miao ethnic group is colorful in cross-stitch work, embroidery, brocade, wax printing, paper cutting and ornaments making which are famous at home and abroad. As to the methods of expressing emotion, they have “stepping on moon” (drop around other villages), “Youfang” (making friends) and singing in an antiphonal style.

Longsheng, 100km away from downtown of Guilin, is the inhabited place of Yao, Tong, Zhuang and Miao ethnic groups. In the famous Longji terrace, there are folk villages like Huangluoyao village and yinshui Tong village which are full of rich folk culture. In the intersection of Li River and Taohua River of Linjiang Road, there built a Li River folk-custom park which has gathered culture, art, custom, dance, song and catering of Yao, Tong, Zhuang and Miao  together. You can enjoy yourself so as to forget to go back home while experiencing folk custom in the happy surrounding.

Guilin Folk Songs: Guilin folk songs are variety in kinds which can be divided as follows: songs connecting with labor like fisherman’s song and folk song; songs connecting with nationality like dragon boat song, celebrating bridegroom song, groomsman song, wedding song, crying for wedding song, filial song; songs connecting with entertainment god and sacrificial rite; Hui songs connecting with religion, folk ditty which has recreation and appreciating value and some song relating to begging and marketing.The most popularizing and local characteristics songs are folk songs and dragon boat songs.

Folk songs are simple and plain in tune but free in rhythm. It is popular in the countryside. The tunes are different in nationalities and regions. They are all instant creation and singing in the course of gathering firewood in the mountain or working in the field which have solo and mutual singing.

Dragon boating song is prevailing in the river. There are 8 songs popular in Li River while 13 songs popular in the Taohua River. Dragon boat song is untrammeled in tune and strong in rhythm. One acts as a leader, together with clanging drum sound. Moreover, the lyrics are mostly related to mourning Qu Yuan, praising the Dragon King, praying for good weather for the crops.