Weekly Photo Challenge – The Atypical Horizons of Guilin, China

“Hope is the horizon we reach if we try.”

Balroom Singh

MOONLIGHT OVER GUILIN

Sara has asked us to show the horizon, the line where the earth and sky appear to meet.  I have chosen to do so by continuing my “tour” of China, this time featuring the beautiful city of Guilin.  In today’s header image, the sky meets the earth in the jagged edge of Guilin’s landscape. Above, the horizon is obscured by the lights of the city, reflected in the Li river.  A brilliant full moon adds a rosy sheen to several of the buildings along the shore.

THE BIRDS, THE BIRDS

“Green is the prime color of the world, and that from which its loveliness arises.”
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/search_results.html#uETE7pHxFJkOzir5.99

Green is the prime color of the world, and that from which its loveliness arises.”
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/search_results.html#uETE7pHxFJkOzir5.99

“When we look up, it widens our horizons”

Julia Gregson

Guilin is one of China’s most popular tourist destinations because of its mystical landscape. Often seen in ancient Chinese watercolors, the area is famous for its karsts – limestone formations that create amazing, ethereal scenery around every corner and curve.  Because the karsts are ubiquitous, the horizon is seen either as a jagged edge, or as a sliver of a line between the protrusions. Above and below, some examples of the karsts bordering the Li River, which runs throughout the city.

JAGGED HORIZON, LI RIVER

TEMPLE AND KARST, GUILIN

“No horizon is so far that you cannot get above it or beyond it”

Beryl Markham

The karsts are best seen from the river, so a day-cruise on the Li is an extremely popular activity.  Being tourists, we decided to join the crowds and set out on one of the many large boats heading downstream.  Along the way we came upon this group, obviously enjoying a different approach!  Small bamboo rafts are powered by local oarsmen using poles to navigate the river. Colorful umbrellas protect their patrons from the mid-day sun.

FLOATING FUN

“Utopia lies at the horizon.”

Eduardo Galiano

MUSCLED OARSMAN

“We all live under the same sky, but we don’t all have the same horizon.”

Konrad Adenauer

The karsts were incredible and at each curve of the river there was another wonderful landscape.  But for me, the most interesting aspect of our cruise was observing the activities of the local residents, in addition to the oarsmen, who carve their livelihoods from the Li’s waters.  Below, a cormorant fisherman works his birds to make the day’s catch.

CORMORANT FISHING

“The horizon leans forward, offering you space to place new steps of change.”

Maya Angelou

We observed dishwashing, fishing, duck-raising, boating and bottom-panning, although we were never told what one might find there! Here then, some additional captures of the action along the Li.

BLUE BOAT

“Every horizon, upon being reached, reveals another beckoning in the distance.”

W. Eugene Smith

KARST CAVE

“A dream is the bearer of a new possibility, the enlarged horizon, the great hope.”

Howard Thurman

Finally, perhaps because they are so very different from what I might see in my daily life, I was fascinated by the water buffalo which, when not working, seemed to be enjoying the cool waters on a warm summer’s day.  These massive creatures have been domesticated in China for over 4,000 years. Across the world, they are depended upon more than any other domesticated animal.

WORKING PARTNERSHIP

A negative attitude is below the horizon…a place for lonesome hearts.

T.F. Hodge

SHORELINE SWIM

“You must learn day by day, year by year, to broaden your horizon.”

Ethel Barrymore

Guilin’s horizons are clearly a bit less traditional than most. To see some other interpretations on the theme, click here.

Tags: China, Guilin, karst, photography, weekly photo challenge

• October 27, 2013
• Photography, Travel, Weekly Photo Challenge
• 107 Comments