Karst mountains in Guilin and Lijiang River National Park, China

© Sean Pavone/Alam

Misty mountain hop. Guilin and Lijiang River National Park, China

Mountains pierce the mist like dragon’s teeth in this enchanting location. Though it may look like the setting of a fantasy story or science fiction epic, the remarkable Guilin and Lijiang River National Park is quite real.

The park is one of the most popular natural attractions in China. The Lijiang, or Li River, flows through the region’s karst landscape, made up of limestone – a soft rock that slowly dissolves in water. It’s the karst that gives the area its unusual geologic features, notably the cone-like hills covered in lush greenery where rainwater erosion has worn away the land above ground, but also the craggy caves below the surface.