Solitary Beauty Peak Prince City Scenic Area(Jingjiang Wangcheng)

Solitary Beauty Peak Prince City Scenic Area, with a history dating back over 600 years to the Hongwu era of the Ming dynasty, was originally built by Zhu Yuanzhang for his grandnephew Zhu Shouqian as a princely city. Today, it is a national 5a-level attraction in guilin, with the solitary beauty peak serving as its iconic landmark.

The Solitary Beauty Peak Prince City Scenic Area showcases a harmonious blend of natural landscapes and historical cultural views, embodying the concept of "a city within scenery and scenery within a city." It serves as a microcosm of Guilin, a world-renowned city celebrated for its picturesque landscapes and rich history. The famous saying "Guilin's scenery is peerless in the world," known globally, originates from the stone wall of Solitary Beauty Peak. Encompassing Guilin's three major historical and cultural systems, the attraction stands as a quintessential representation of Guilin's heritage. Entering this scenic area is like stepping through the gateway to Guilin's history and culture, giving rise to the widely circulated phrase: "Guilin's scenery is peerless in the world, and to know Guilin is to explore Prince City."

As early as the Southern and Northern Dynasties period, renowned scholar Yan Yanzhi studied and composed poetry at the foot of Solitary Beauty Peak, initiating the literary tradition of the Lingnan region. During the Tang Dynasty, the first official educational institution in Guangxi's history was established here. In the Song Dynasty, Wang Zhenggong engraved the timeless phrase "Guilin's scenery is peerless under heaven" on the peak, which became the city's most representative slogan. The Ming Dynasty saw military strategist Liu Bowen recognizing Solitary Beauty Peak's auspicious location, leading to the construction of the Prince of Jingjiang's Mansion. During the Qing Dynasty, the mansion was converted into Guangxi's imperial examination hall, becoming a major testing center in southwest China that produced 585 jinshi (metropolitan graduates) and 4 zhuangyuan (top scholars), including one who achieved the rare "triple first" honor. In the Republican era, Sun Yat-sen established his Northern Expedition headquarters here. In 1954, Guangxi Normal University relocated to this site. The Solitary Beauty Peak Prince City Scenic Area has not only nurtured exceptional talents but also served as Guangxi's political, economic, and cultural center throughout history.

Solitary Beauty Peak

Standing solitary in the center of Guilin, Solitary Beauty Peak rises abruptly from the ground as the king of all mountains in the area. Ascending to its summit offers a panoramic view of the entire city of Guilin, embodying the majestic sentiment of "overlooking all surrounding peaks." It has been honored as the "Pillar of Southern Sky." As early as the Southern Dynasties period, renowned scholar Yan Yanzhi praised its grandeur in his poem: "None rivals Duxiu's majesty, towering above the city walls."

Solitary beauty peak prince city scenic area

The prince of Jingjiang mansion is the best-preserved princely relic in china and serves as the core attraction within the Solitary Beauty Peak Prince City Scenic Area. The prince of Jingjiang mansion museum, also known as the "chengyun hall," was where ancient princes handled administrative affairs. Today, the museum showcases the history of the prince of jingjiang mansion and the transformation of guilin. Visitors can explore through high-tech holographic projections and 3d displays, and even experience the ancient art of rubbing at the "prince mansion rubbing workshop."Solitary Beauty Peak cliff carvings

On the cliffs of Solitary Beauty Peak, there are approx. 200 cliff carvings preserved from various dynasties, including the famous ancient saying "Guilin's scenery is peerless in the world". The site also features numerous precious buddha and tai sui stone carvings, as well as the five blessings series which appeared on the 2017 cctv spring festival gala. It is now a nationally protected cultural relic.

Secret rubbings of the prince's mansion

The secret rubbing technique of the Prince's Mansion has a history of over a hundred years. It is a colored feng shui rubbing craft developed by Zhu Zaojing, the third-generation Prince of Jingjiang, and has now been listed as an intangible cultural heritage. Visitors can experience this ancient rubbing technique here. Learning to create the Prince's Mansion secret rubbings holds significant value for the inheritance and development of Chinese historical culture and folk art.