Guilin is a prefecture-level city located in the northeast of China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Situated on the west bank of the Li River, the city borders the province of Hunan to the north.
The name Guilin translates to "forest of sweet osmanthus," a reference to the numerous fragrant sweet osmanthus trees found throughout the region. The city is historically renowned for its distinctive karst topography scenery.