Trip.com Group spotlights Guilin as demand for experiential and cultural travel grows in China | News

As travelers around the world increasingly seek slower, experience-based travel, Guilin is emerging as one of China’s standout destinations for nature, heritage and cultural immersion. International flight bookings to Guilin grew 75% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026, making Guilin one of the fastest growing cities in China among global travelers.

Trip.com Group highlighted the city’s growing appeal this week at its “Guilin Night” event, which brought together more than 3,500 international guests from 78 countries and regions. This is done in collaboration with the legendary actor and Global Ambassador for the Group’s China Travel, Jackie Chan, who puts the spotlight on the destination.

For generations, Guilin has enchanted travelers with its mist-covered karst mountains, winding rivers and timeless landscapes. And in addition to the picture-perfect landscapes, the region also offers a rich array of multi-ethnic cultures, where traditions from communities such as the Zhuang, Yao, Miao and Dong peoples continue to shape local life, cuisine, craftsmanship and customs.

“Guilin reminds me that traveling is not just about seeing famous sights, but also about connecting with the culture of a destination,” says Jackie Chan. “The mountains, the rivers, the atmosphere, it feels like you’re walking into a Chinese painting. But what makes it so special is that it slows you down in the best way. In cities like Beijing and Shanghai, life can move very fast, but Guilin shows a different side of China that allows you to be more present.”

A wealth of picturesque landscapes

For Jackie Chan, the highlight of any Guilin trip begins with the legendary Li River.

“The Li River is the soul of Guilin,” he said. “You can sit quietly on the boat and just look around. The landscape changes every minute.”

The famous river cruise between Guilin and Yangshuo takes you through dramatic limestone mountains, fishing villages and the iconic ‘Yellow Cloth Reflection’, a stretch of water near the ancient city of Xingping that is immortalized on the 20 RMB banknote.

Another sight in Jackie Chan’s top three Guilin experiences are the Longji Rice Terraces, which notably ranks No. 3 in Guilin sights on Trip.Best, Trip.com Group’s AI-curated rankings designed to help travelers select a destination’s best experiences. The 600-year-old terraces transform through the seasons, from mirror-like flooded fields in spring to golden waves during harvest season.

“When you stand there and look across the fields, you realize how much history and human effort there is in this landscape,” Jackie said.

Visitors can also explore nearby ethnic minority villages, including communities known for their traditional craftsmanship and cultural performances. This increasingly aligns with the modern traveler’s search for experiences that offer local culture, slower exploration and meaningful connection.

For travelers who want to experience Guilin’s natural landscape beyond the rivers and mountains, Reed Flute Cave offers a unique underground perspective.

Known as the ‘Palace of Natural Art’, Reed Flute Cave offers a surreal underground world of color and geology.

“The first time I went into Reed Flute Cave, I felt like I was on another planet,” Jackie said. “The colors, the rock formations, the reflections, it’s incredible. It’s one of those places where photos can’t fully capture how impressive it feels in person.”

Inside the cave, travelers can explore illuminated stalactites, stalagmites, and underground chambers formed over millions of years.

The region also offers newer tourism experiences that combine excitement with Guilin’s natural environment.

Adventure seekers should head to Ruyi Peak, number 8 in Guilin’s sights on Trip.Best. At this modern ‘sky park’ you can stand on cable cars, suspension bridges and panoramic skywalks and look out over Yangshuo’s dramatic limestone landscape, combining nature with adrenaline-pumping exploration.

Cultural Immersion at Solitary Beauty Peak

For travelers who want to combine history and scenery, the historic Solitary Beauty Peak and the Jingjiang Princes’ Palace, located in the heart of Guilin, are must-visit sites.

Solitary Beauty Peak offers panoramic views of Guilin and remains one of the city’s most famous scenic spots. While the latter is a former Ming Dynasty royal residence, where visitors can step back in time and wander the halls of the once functional downtown area, inhabited by the nephew of the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, the last imperial dynasty in China.

Immersion in a performance like no other

In the evening, the Impression Liu Sanjie performance comes to life. One of the world’s largest natural auditoriums hosts 600 performers in traditional attire from the Zhuang, Miao and Yao minorities, bringing to life the legend of Liu Sanjie, a famous figure in the region’s folklore. This beautiful show is set against the Li River, with the karst landscape as a natural backdrop.

“The mountains become part of the show,” Jackie said. “You don’t just look at it, you feel surrounded by it. It’s very emotional and very Chinese, bringing together music, dance, light and local folklore in the best way,” he added.

The large-scale outdoor performance, directed by famed filmmaker Zhang Yimou, uses the Li River itself as a stage, featuring hundreds of local performers under illuminated peaks.

Growing interest in experiencing culture

According to Trip.com Group, the Guilin showcase reflects broader travel trends in Asia, where travelers are prioritizing slower itineraries, nature-based tourism and immersive cultural experiences over traditional checklist tours.

For example, “Guilin Night,” also known as the Trip.com Group Envision Gala Dinner, celebrated China’s intangible cultural heritage through immersive workshops, traditional games and cultural performances.

Guests were introduced to ancient Chinese sports including Cuju, an ancient Chinese football game, and Chuiwan, a royal bat-and-ball game, created traditional lanterns, practiced Zhuang brocade crafts and participated in lantern riddles under glowing lights.

The evening concluded with a large-scale drone show that illuminated Guilin’s famous skyline, a modern spectacle set against one of China’s most timeless landscapes.

Guilin has become a place where visitors come not only to sightsee, but also to pause and connect with nature, whether that means wandering the riverside streets, discovering local flavors or simply enjoying the quiet beauty of the landscapes.

For Jackie Chan, that balance is what defines Guilin. “People remember the mountains and rivers, but they also remember how the place and the culture make them feel,” he said. Looking more broadly at travel in China, Jackie believes that many international visitors only paint a superficial picture of what the country has to offer. “My advice is simple: don’t rush it. Many first-time visitors focus only on the biggest cities or attractions they see on social media, but China is a very large and diverse country, with so many different sides that you can hardly discover in a single trip. Be curious, throw out your existing views and come with an open mind.”