Big jet-black butterflies, with flashes of white on their wings, fly gracefully about, unperturbed by the busy life around them. And the hospitable people of Guangxi go about their daily chores and enjoy life in perfect harmony with what Mother Nature has adorned their region in southeast China.

You just cannot not fall in love with the place and, especially, its inhabitants. No wonder they warn you in advance that the feeling of already missing both is already too strong even before you leave.

Perhaps it is the way the people smile warmly at visitors and greet you with their “Hello”, in English, their eyes lighting up if you reciprocate with “Ni hao” (hello in Chinese).

It could also be the simple life they lead.

Or the natural art all over.

The young guide, Chen Donglin, who insisted she should be called Tora, could not have been more correct when she said: “Nature always paints the most beautiful pictures.” And very impressive pictures, too!

What probably touches the visitor is an accumulation of all three factors and even more.

The beauty of Guangxi lies in its nature, its people and its culture. Indeed, the region is known for its geological diversity with mountains in the north, the ocean to the south and pastoral fields, forests, waterfalls and beaches in between.

It is a long way to get to Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, to use the full name, but it is definitely worth the journey. The scenery is mesmerising, creativity is pronounced and the talented, hard-working people manage to turn their legends, traditions and even superstitions into fantastic stories, first-class shows and tourist attractions.

The Impressions Liu Sanjie performance, in Yangshuo is a case in point. The stage is the Li River and the majestic karst mountains are the backdrop. The production, directed by renowned Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou, who had handled the opening ceremony at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, recounts the love story of Liu Sanjie, a folk singer. According to the legend, although the Zhuang people, one of the 56 ethnic groups in China, think she actually existed, the singer was the incarnation of a lark and, indeed, she and her boyfriend live happily ever after by turning themselves into a pair of larks.

Or take the Fantastic Stones Museum, in Liuzhou. Stones of every imaginable shape and size started being lifted from the river in the 1960s from a depth of 60 to 70 metres. To the creative experts handling them, these were not ordinary rocks battered by the waves of the natural elements. They are works of art sculpted by that biggest artist of all, nature, a task that could take as long as 260 million years to complete. Each stone is given a title, meant to lead one’s imagination to be as fertile as possible.

Nature’s work is very much evident across Guangxi

The largest stone in the museum weighs 46 tons and is called ‘Dragon in the sky’. Look closely at it and that is what you see.

Nature’s work is very much evident across Guangxi and, what is more, is that the people are really proud of it and value it. This is felt even in cities such as Nanning, a cultural and economic centre, Liuzhou, which is very industrial, and Guilin, a tourism destination.

Just imagine what it is like in rural areas. It is still life as our grandparents knew it. Many people still walk not drive and they toil the fields for most of the day, practically all year round, backbreaking work, especially in rice plantations and when picking tea leaves from the fields in the subtropical weather and the occasional heavy downpour. No wonder, you often come across elderly people walking bent over the waste, usually with the help of a stick. And, still, they smile happily.

The tradtional drum towers remain a permanent feature of many villages as do so-called wind and rain bridges, which offered shelter to the people in bad weather conditions. These wooden structures were built without any nails or screws, the craftsmen working on them ensuring rigidity thanks to their masterly use of wedges and grooves.

Another marvel is the Lingqu Canal, in Guilin, considered to be the first man-made water channel in the world, Qin Shi Huang, founder of the Qin dynasty and first emperor of unified China, had decided to embark on the project mainly to support his war effort. It took four years to complete the 37-kilometre-long canal in 214BC, when, finally, Qin could rule over the whole of China.

But, make no mistake, the region is not stuck in the past. Far from it. High-rise buildings abound. Top-notch technology is ever-present and all top brands are available.

In Guangzhou, some of the shopping malls retail among the most expensive items in the western world and they are well patronised.

A busy road, half a kilometre long, bang in the middle of Yangshuo, a rather small town not far from Guilin, is known among locals as ‘West Street’ because there they can buy “western”. It is also an entertainment mecca and bouncers, sometimes even police officers, stand guard at the entrance of some outlets where the fare on offer includes somethingh akin to pole dancing, though a moon crescent substitutes the vertical rod.

Guangxi region is an excellent example of how nature, culture, modern-day life and ‘cool’ living can blend well. The hospitable people strike the heart and the exquisite landscape fills the spirit.

Henry Kissinger, who had served as secretary of state and national security adviser under US presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, is known for the role he had played in Sino-US relations. He was once reported saying that before he visited the country he used to think Chinese landscape paintings were but the romantic fragments of painters’ imaginations though he eventually realised they are genguine portrayals.

Unfortunately, unlike Tora, many of us seem to forget that nature is the biggest artist of them all.

Seeing is believing and, once you witness such splendour, the experience will last forever. The sweet melodic notes of the oriental fantasia that fills the air in Gaungxi continue to echo in the music chambers of my mind...

Top spots

Guilin, famed for its spectacular setting by the Li River and the karst peaks surrounding it, is perhaps the top tourist attraction in Guangxi. It used to be the capital of Guangxi.

South of Guilin, down the river, is the town of Yangshuo, a favourite destination for foreign tourists.

Lijiang River, part of the Guilin River, flows from the Piled Festoon Hill to Bilian Peak, in Yangshou, a distance of 83 kilometres.

This green ribbon-like river runs zigzag through many green hills against a backdrop of steep peaks and flowers.

Elephant Trunk Hill, at the confluence of the Lijiang River and Yangjiang River, is called so because it looks like an elephant drinking water from the river. Between the body and the trunk is a round-shaped space, the ‘water moon’ arch through which the river flows.

To the east of Guilin, is Crescent Hill, with the hidden Dragon Cave located at the foot.

Fubo Hill lies to the east of the city with half of it reaching into the Lijiang River.

Inside the Seven-Star-Rock Cave, also to the east of Guilin, are quite a few stalactites and stalagmites, and, with some imagination, one can see fantastic scenes such as a monkey picking peaches and two lions fighting for a ball, as well as shapes of fruits, forests and a gigantic waterfall.

Reed-Flute Cave, at Guangming Hill, about six kilometres northwest of Guilin, was eroded out of karst formation and dates back to more than 1,000 years. The inhabitants consider it as an art galley of nature.

What they said...

Guangxi has the largest population of minority ethnic groups in China and they vary from each other in cultural traditions and customs such as songs, dances, handicrafts, architectural techniques and local cuisines, which showcase the rich cultural heritage Guangxi possesses – Jiang Jiang, China’s Ambassador to Malta.

Guangxi has picturesque scenery, blue sea and clear sky, fresh air, colourful ethnic culture, art and folk customs – Li Bin, vice governor of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

As one of China’s five ethnic minority autonomous regions, Guangxi is the only autonomous region with the advantages of coastal, riverside and land borders – Yang Xiaolong, director of the China Cultural Centre in Malta.

What is Guangxi

In the late 13th century, the Mongolians established Guangxi (which means western expanse) as a proper province.

Guangxi is the fourth most energy-efficient province in China, helping to further boost its green image.

Though now associated with the Zhuang ethnic minority, Guangxi’s culture traditionally has had a close connection with the Cantonese.

Cantonese culture and language followed the Xi River valley from Guangdong and is still predominant in the eastern half of Guangxi today. Beyond this area there is a huge variety of ethnicities and language groups represented.

Forty percent of the total land area in Guangxi is a hilly basin landform.

The main peak of Maoer Mountain, in the marginal mountains of the basin, is 2,141 metres above sea level. Kitten Mountain, in the Yuecheng Mountains, the highest peak in South China.

There are 12 native ethnic groups namely Zhuang, Han, Yao, Miao, Dong, Mulam, Maonan, Hui, Jing, Yi, Shui and Gelao, and there are 44 other ethnic groups including Manchu, Mongolian, Korean, Tibet, Li and Tujia.

The biggest ethnic group is the Zhuang, which is particularly well known for its good singers. Their houses are built on stilts, with the lower floor of the house used for housing livestock and the families occupying the upper floor.

The author travelled to Guangxi as guest of the China Cultural Centre in Malta.