Guilin was a lot 'easier going' then both Beijing and Xi'an.
On our first night, we walked by the river just outside our hotel. It was at that point that we could tell straight away that this place was a bit different to the two city's we had just visited when we saw a guy in a fitness park (on the river bank) working out on a cross trainer. As we walked on we could see that this was a community area where both adults and children were either working out or playing with various bits of keep fit equipment - it was about 7.30pm.
We walked a little further and saw a group of ladies taking part in some kind of dance aerobics to soft music, all in step and all seeming to know the moves that looked to me a bit like a tai chi/aerobics cross.
In town, the street market traders were far less aggressive and the scenery around the outskirts of the city is stunning.
When we were stood on top of the Yue Ya Hill at Seven Star Park, we looked out over the city and saw the buildings and homes that are both crammed together and plentiful. However, it just didn't feel as 'full on' as Xi'an and there was nowhere near the chaos that we saw as 'normal' in Beijing. The room we had at The Guilin Bravo was just brilliant and we'd have loved to have taken it with us!