Even in challenging times, Guilin Shangri-La blossoms

Every year, the international forum of the UN World Tourism Organization and Pacific Asia Travel Association, held this year in early October, is like a second local festival for Guilin.

So Guilin Shangri-La, as one of the city's few luxury-grade hotels, is bound to play a unique part, said Kevin Zhang, resident manager of the hotel.

During a coffee break at the forum held in the hotel's conference center, colorful snacks and candies were arranged like a garden where the uniformed service workers performed environmentally friendly concepts in making fruit juice.