Guilin to offer visa-free entry for ASEAN tour groups

Clouds cover the Lijiang River in Guilin city, South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, May 19. The river flows 83 kilometers from Guilin to Yangshuo, and the karst mountains highlight the famous cruise. [Photo/CFP]

NANNING - The South China city of Guilin, a top tourist destination known for its picturesque landscape, will offer six-day visa-free entry to group tourists from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) starting Thursday.

ASEAN is the major source of tourists in Guilin,  which began to offer 72-hour visa-free stays to international transit passengers from 51 countries last July.

Guilin in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region received 38.7 million tourists in 2014, including 2.03 million from abroad. Tourism revenue reached 42.1 billion yuan ($6.9 billion) last year.

Guilin is famous for its picturesque karst landscapes and has long been a popular tourist destination. Guilin rice noodles are a well-known food in Guilin, just like Guilin's unique hills and water.