Guilin
prefecture-level city in Guangxi, China
Guilin (Chinese: 桂林 Standard Zhuang: Gveilinz), formerly romanized as Kweilin, is a prefecture-level city in the northeast of China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. It is situated on the west bank of the Li River and borders Hunan to the north. Its name means "forest of sweet osmanthus", owing to the large number of fragrant sweet osmanthus trees located in the region. The city has long been renowned for its scenery of karst topography.
Guilin is one of China's most popular tourist destinations. A famous Chinese saying about the landscape of Guilin is "Guilin's scenery is the best in the world." (Chinese: 桂林山水甲天下) The State Council of China has designated Guilin a National Famous Historical and Cultural City, doing so in the first edition of the list.
History
Before the Qin dynasty, the Guilin region was settled by the Baiyue people. In 314 BC, a small settlement was established along the banks of the Li River.
During the Qin dynasty's (221–206 BC) campaigns against the state of Nanyue, the first administration was set up in the area around Guilin. The modern city was located within the Guilin Commandery, which is the origin of the modern name "Guilin".
“Guilin” enters the record as prefecture-level city in Guangxi, China. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Guilin, prefecture-level and city can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“Guilin” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Guilin, prefecture-level and city provides the most credible route into that argument.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 11, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q189633. VIAF identifies the subject as 157746692. The Library of Congress control number is n80162401. Authority coordinates are 25.267, 110.283. 4 of 6 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.
Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Guilin”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Guilin primary sources, Guilin archive and Guilin research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Guilin”?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Guilin” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.