Before arriving in Guilin, I had seen pictures of black swans against those famous karst mountains and heard of Guihai Qinglan. This was largely because others were sharing pictures online. What I discovered was… well, it wasn’t exactly what I imagined, it’s really just an all-inclusive resort with a golf course and some lakes and campgrounds surrounded by those hot air balloons waiting for tourists to pose in front of them.
It’s not really a typical scenic area, but still, I spent several pleasant hours exploring and there was a lot to like (particularly if you want something quieter then your average Guilin sightseeing trip). Because it’s quite large, you could easily spend a half-day here, and even longer if you’ve got a campsite reservation. Let me show you what I saw during my visit.
What I Saw at Guihai Qinglan
Guihai Qinglan Scenic Area
When I got there mid-morning, it was already quite nicely done up… Nice pathways, landscaping, and even the mountains in the background was working their magic. It was the beginning of tree-blooming season when I went, so that gave some color to the stroll as well.
Overall, the entire set-up felt more like a holiday resort than a typical Chinese scenic spot, which surprised me, though not in a bad way.
Here at the visitor centre is where you work out what it is you want to do and get your ticket sorted. As I walked in, there was a wishing tree with all these bits and bobs on it near the door; couples was taking pictures of themselves, but I just strode past. What I did like about the facilities here compared to some of the other more simple places in Guilin was that they were clean and moddern.
To find my way, I took a few minutes to read the pricing board and look at the map. Remember to factor in the price of a balloon ride as this is not included in the base ticket price. If it’s on your list then budget for that.
Inside the centre there’s a scale model of the entire resort which helped explain just how sprawling the place is, the golf course take up most of the middle, while the camping areas and swan lake are around the edge.
If you’re not up for walking the entire loop (which is a few kilometres), they has these little motorised carts you can rent out. After contemplating it for about half a second, I decided to simply walk, the weather wasn’t terrible, and I thought I might see more of it. The carts looked fun, and I watched families zooming around on them throughout the day.
In the middle of the property is the golf course, which took up most of the space, though even as a non-golfer, you still spend a good amount of time walking next to it. I will say that I could understand why people plays golf, those mountains looming over the back of the fairways are pretty dramatic. The entire place had an air of something you would expect to see in Southeast Asia rather than inland China.
It was really well-maintained. The grass was perfect, almost too perfect. Some of the pathways were lined with pampas grass, which isn’t bad if you like taking photos.
Things got more interesting for me out on the lake itself. The scenery was typical for Guilin, with mountain reflections in still water, but there weren’t any crowds like you’ll find at some of the more popular sights. There was a handful of sculptures, marked with name of the resort, that were clearly meant for photos.
People was already lining up to take pictures with them. And the peaks here were every bit as dramatic as anything else in the area, vertical limestone cliffs that have been thrown down seemingly at random over the terrain.
And then there were the black swans (the whole point of my visit). They were swimming around, totally unfazed by human presence. There was one that let me watch it preen itself for a bit, another with its baby cygnet floating next to it, so sweet!
And they didn’t seem bothered; no skittishness here, these swans were clearly well looked after and comfortable in their environment. I sat down on a bench for a solid half hour watching them glide about.
I continued walking around the lake and stopped every so often to enjoy a new angle of the mountains. They are there, hanging over you, occasionally reflecting in the water, and are always framed a little differently (sometimes with grass), sometimes perfectly mirrored in the water. Although you can see karst peaks elsewhere in Guilin, it’s never boring out here.
However, if you’ve been on the Yulong River or Li River cruise before, then you’ll know right away what sort of geological vibe you’re getting.
Somewhere along the way, I walked past a cafe (which I didn’t visit). On the signs, it says there is a loop road around the entire property, which was what I was more or less doing as I walked around. It’s clear they want you to stay awhile here, benches, rest areas, plenty of variety so you aren’t looking out at the same view the entire time.
I was surprised at how big the camping site was. It had several themed areas, shared eating area, and some glamping tents with views of the mountains in the background. I wasn’t camping here, but I walked around the campsite anyway.
This place seemed really popular among families and groups looking to make a weekend out of it. If you like camping, some of the tents were right by the lake, so waking up there would of been nice. The entire thing felt very commercial, but it was done well.
It was more comfortable than roughing it, yet still outdoorsy enough to feel like an experience.
As I continued my walk around the lake, the water was so clear you could see right down to the rocks below. I noticed the hot air balloons off in the distance. From my vantage point they were little colorful specks floating over the golf courses.
And there were some sculptures dotted about. This fisherman statue next to the water, etc…you know, the stuff they put up to decorate.
I moved closer to the balloons. They weren’t actually flying; they are tied rides that reach perhaps thirty or forty metres into the air before anchoring to the ground. There was a line of people waiting to ride one, and I considered standing in it myself but then didn’t.
It seemed like there wouldn’t be much difference from being on top of them, and I was already getting a pretty good view from down here. As I walked past, I saw the burners and the baskets up close. They look legit enough, and every so often, I’d hear someone’s balloon rise up with a roar of the flames as it hoisted another group skyward.
And I saw this pet’s park on the other side of the lake but never got over there. The last pictures I took were of the balloons. One was fully inflated and floating.
In my opinion, this was the best part for photos, as it is where you want your balloons to be to get that classic picture of balloons over the mountains. As it turns out, Guihai Qinglan was less raw nature and more resort, and while that threw me at first, it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, so I was surprised by how little I cared. If you’re looking for something low-key and have already checked off the major sights in Guilin, then Guihai Qinglan is a nice way to pass a couple of hours.
The karst scenery will never disappoint you here, and the swans were absolutely worth it. Just go with expectations, this won’t be some sort of wilderness experience, nor does it claim to be. Have you visited Guihai Qinglan or other similar resort-type scenic spots in Guilin?
Would love to know what you thought!
