Shangri-La means the ideal living place in Chinese, equaling to the Elysium or heaven in the West. Shangri-la is a dream place for many people. While you can find a real Shangri-la is not far from Guilin. Shangri-La Park, also named Shi Wai Tao Yuan, is located not far away Yangshuo along Guiyang Road.

Shangri-La is a place of peace and quiet, with a pleasant sight of peach tree-lined riverbank, paddy fields and hidden cottages. It showcases a natural paradise to you, which may not be reprehensive but surely impressive.

This Shangri-La does take in the natural beauty of surrounding area with its small river and large karst peaks in the background. The first sight visitors will encounter is a pavilion named Peach Pavilion. A willows shaded narrow trail will lead to an idyllic lake, called Swallow Lake, which is the largest tributary of the Yu Long River, an ideal drifting place. The narrow lake can be divided into three parts, the Outer Lake, Inner Lake and the Back Lake. On the lake stands a traditional building complex, called Wind-and-rain Bridge. Through the bridge and along a path, you will see three larger Totem Pillars. These oddly carved stone pillars represent the primitive local religions and culture which now are still practiced by the minority peoples in the area. Besides, you can walk around the traditional buildings and see local people making handicrafts. Performance featuring the ethical dances and songs are presented. Visitor can also experience the throwing-love-ball tradition. The gracefully embroidered ball is considered a symbol of love by the Zhuang people.