Jingjiang Princes' Palace (Solitary Beauty Peak and Princes' City)
靖江王府・独秀峰 Jingjiang Princes' Palace · Xiufeng District, Guilin, Guangxi, China
Stroll between the walls and terraces of a Ming dynasty prince's mansion, and climb Solitary Beauty Peak to read the original inscription "Guilin's scenery is the best under heaven".
Know before you go
- Do not enter university teaching and dormitory areas uninvited
- do not trace or touch the stone inscriptions or make rubbings
- when climbing Duxiu Peak, do not stop on the steep steps for photos and block others
This article is Not yet verified. Please check official announcements for prices, opening hours and dates.
Culture
Culture & customs
Background
The Jingjiang Princes' Palace, also called the Jingjiang Princes' City, stands beneath Solitary Beauty Peak in the center of Guilin and was the residence of the Ming-dynasty line of Jingjiang princes. In the third year of Hongwu (1370), Zhu Yuanzhang made Zhu Shouqian, grandson of his eldest brother, Prince of Jingjiang; construction of the palace began in the fifth year of Hongwu (1372), and successive Jingjiang princes lived here for nearly 300 years. In the ninth year of Shunzhi (1652) the palace's main timber buildings were destroyed in war; in the Qing dynasty the Guangxi Examination Hall was set up on the old site, where the provincial imperial examinations were held; in 1936 the Guangxi provincial government moved in, and since 1954 it has been the Wangcheng Campus of today's Guangxi Normal University. The surviving Ming remains are mainly the city walls, gates, and the platforms and stone balustrades of the Chengyun Gate and Chengyun Hall. Solitary Beauty Peak bears many cliff inscriptions, including the inscription that is the source of the line "Guilin's scenery is the finest under heaven."
Local customs
- The princely city is still part of a university campus today, and the scenic route links the gates, the platform of Chengyun Hall, the examination hall and Duxiu Peak. The stone steps up Duxiu Peak are steep and narrow, about 300-plus steps, so climb within your limits
- the imperial examination culture exhibition area offers interactive activities such as rubbing.
Religion & beliefs
- The Reading Cave beneath Duxiu Peak is said to be where Yan Yanzhi of the Southern Dynasties studied, and the princely palace ruins and the imperial examination hall carry the city's memory of learning. Exam candidates and their parents often come to the examination hall to "pray for blessings"
- please respect such folk practices, and stay solemn when visiting the ruins of the princely ancestral hall.
Etiquette & taboos
Etiquette & taboos
Rules that apply here
China: At Qingming tomb-sweeping, no burning paper or open flames in wooded areas
Do
- Check whether the cemetery requires a reservation before you go
- Stay quiet while laying flowers, bowing and observing silence
- Consider flowers, tree planting or online memorials instead of burning paper
- Dress soberly for tomb-sweeping
- Take offering wrappers and rubbish with you when you leave
Don’t
- Don't burn paper, incense or candles, or set off firecrackers, in woods or grassland
- Don't talk loudly or joke around in the cemetery
- Don't block cemetery paths for long to take photos
During fire-prevention periods, burning paper, incense and candles is strictly banned in forest and grassland fire zones, and anyone who starts a wildfire may be held legally liable. Whether and where a cemetery allows burning is set by its own rules on site.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Xinhua: Two departments deploy safety measures for the Qingming holiday
China: Go through security before the metro, and park shared bikes in marked zones
Do
- Cooperate with the security check at the entrance and put bags through the scanner
- On the platform, wait beside the doors and let passengers off first
- Register with your real name in the app before riding a shared bike
- Park in a marked bay or an app-designated spot, and make sure the lock clicks shut
- If the brakes or lock don't work, switch bikes and report it in the app
Don’t
- Don't linger in the doorway or force your way through closing doors
- Don't leave bikes in traffic lanes, fire lanes or on tactile paving
- Don't let children under 12 ride shared bikes
If you refuse the security check you will not be let into the station. Badly parked bikes are removed, and riders may face action under local rules and the operator's terms.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: People's Daily Online: Beijing issues standards for shared bike technology, services, parking
China: No smoking anywhere on high-speed trains, and no phone calls in quiet carriages
Do
- Sit in the carriage and seat shown on your ticket
- Put large luggage in the racks at the carriage ends or overhead
- Use headphones for videos and music
- In a quiet carriage, step outside to make or take calls
- Before getting off, check around your seat and take your rubbish and belongings
Don’t
- Don't smoke anywhere on the train, including toilets and vestibules
- Don't take someone else's seat
- Don't choose a quiet carriage when travelling with babies or toddlers (12306 advises against it)
Smoking on a bullet train can set off smoke alarms and slow or even stop the train. Smokers are fined by the police and, according to reports, may also be barred from buying bullet-train tickets; official rules prevail. If someone breaks the quiet-carriage rules, tell the train staff.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Travel China Guide: Smoking on Chinese trains
China: Stay on open sections of the Great Wall and never carve the bricks
Do
- Walk only on open sections and marked routes
- On steep stretches, stop and steady yourself before taking photos, and watch your step
- Wear non-slip shoes, carry enough water, and turn back if you are tired
- Carry your rubbish down or put it in a bin
- Check opening arrangements before you go; official announcements prevail
Don’t
- Don't carve, write on or prise loose the bricks
- Don't climb over fences or onto closed, crumbling walls and watchtowers
- Don't run or push on steep sections
Carving the Great Wall counts as damaging a cultural relic: one visitor who carved his name at Badaling was given administrative detention and a fine by the police and was blacklisted by the scenic area. Closed sections are not maintained and can be dangerous.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: China News Service: Man detained for five days and fined 200 yuan for carving on the Badaling Great Wall
China: book popular sights in advance, under your real name, through official channels
Do
- Check the booking rules on the site's official website, mini program or account before you go
- Enter every companion's ID details in advance and pick an entry time slot
- Children, seniors and others with free or reduced tickets also book as required and show ID
- Book early for holidays and summer; popular dates often fill quickly
Don’t
- Don't trust third parties offering to grab tickets or sell 'insider' tickets
- Don't assume a free ticket means no booking is needed
- Don't count on buying tickets at the gate on peak days
Once a popular date is fully booked, you may be turned away. China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism requires sites to keep in-person ticket windows and to accommodate seniors and others, but on-site quotas are limited; booking windows, release times and visitor caps are subject to official announcements.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: China Daily: Ministry of Culture and Tourism requires all scenic areas to keep ticket windows
China: set up mobile payment before you go; hotels and tickets are booked under your passport
Do
- Link a foreign bank card to Alipay or WeChat Pay before departure
- Carry some cash in yuan for small stalls, remote areas or payment glitches
- Expect real-name checks at hotels, for train tickets and popular sights; use your passport
- Make sure the name and number on bookings match your passport exactly
- If a station gate cannot read your passport, use the staffed lane
Don’t
- Don't wait until you arrive to set up payment; verification can take time
- Don't assume cash alone or a bank card alone will work everywhere
- Don't book with details that differ from your passport
Without a working payment method, or with mismatched ID details, you may be unable to check in, buy tickets or enter sights. Payment limits, fees and platform rules are subject to official announcements.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Gov.cn: Payment services for foreign visitors to China
China: Queue, don't smoke where banned, and never carve on heritage sites
Do
- Wait your turn in line, and follow staff directions when it's crowded
- On buses and the metro, let passengers off first and offer seats to those in need
- Book popular sights and museums in advance, under your real name, through official channels
- Sort your rubbish into the right bins
- Use serving chopsticks and spoons, and order only what you can eat
Don’t
- Don't cut in line or walk side by side blocking the way
- Don't smoke where it is banned; many cities ban smoking in indoor public places and on public transport
- Don't carve or write on historic buildings or ancient trees, or climb on or touch relics
- Don't use flash or tripods in exhibition halls
- Don't talk loudly or play music out loud in public places
Staff will stop you from queue-jumping, smoking where banned or marking relics, and smoking in no-smoking areas or damaging relics can also lead to fines under the law. Fine amounts, booking methods and opening hours are as officially announced.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Palace Museum official site: Visit
Don’t DON'T
- Do not enter university teaching and dormitory areas uninvited
- do not trace or touch the stone inscriptions or make rubbings
- when climbing Duxiu Peak, do not stop on the steep steps for photos and block others
- do not climb the battlements of the city wall
- do not step on the stone balustrades of the ruins' platforms
- do not touch the reconstructed examination cells in the imperial examination hall exhibition
Locals appreciate DO
- Climb Duxiu Peak to look over Guilin and the distant hills
- look for the "Guilin's scenery is the finest under heaven" inscription
- learn about Ming and Qing imperial examinations at the examination hall
- examine the Ming stone balustrades and platform of Chengyun Hall
- combine with Zhengyang Pedestrian Street for half a day
- compare old photos with the wall at the princely city gate to see how it has changed
Plan your visit
Practical info
Travel tips
- Allow 2–3 hours, including about 40 minutes to climb Solitary Beauty Peak. The princes' city is in central Guilin, at the north end of Zhengyang Pedestrian Street, reachable on foot or by bus from anywhere downtown. Opening hours, tickets and guided tours are subject to the scenic area's official website and on-site notices
- the stone steps to the peak are steep, and climbing may be temporarily restricted when they are wet with rain. Combine with Elephant Trunk Hill, the Two Rivers and Four Lakes and Dongxi Lane: the princes' city and Solitary Beauty Peak in the morning, rice noodles in Dongxi Lane after lunch, and Elephant Trunk Hill and the Sun and Moon Pagodas in the evening. Most of the Ming-dynasty timber palace halls no longer survive, and the halls you see on site are mostly later reconstructions
- check the dates on the signs to tell Ming platforms and stone balustrades from modern buildings. Bring water when climbing Solitary Beauty Peak in summer
- it is windy at the top, so watch your belongings.
Photos
Photos
prat · CC BY-SA 3.0
xiquinhosilva · CC BY 2.0
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