From Beijing, I headed to Guilin – famous for its picturesque hills, rice fields, and hordes of tourists. That this city is completely (over) tooled for tourism would be an understatement. Guilin was the first city to be opened for tourism in the mid eighties. One has to really tune out hordes of tourists everywhere to really enjoy the surroundings and the mystical journey on Li river to Yangshuo. The river is so crowded with tour boats that it feels like a long train of big boats. However, once you are on your way, the towering peaks of the mountains help you forget the immediate vicinity of the people everywhere. The river level is barely knee deep and it is getting smoggy so who knows how long the beautiful area will survive. Btw, at one point, this area was under water. Over the years, the erosion has shaped these Karst Hills.