Guilin is situated in the northeast of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on the west bank of the Li River. Its name means "forest of Sweet Osmanthus", owing to the large number of fragrant Sweet Osmanthus trees located in the city. The city has long been renowned for its unique scenery.

As one of the majority cities in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Guilin is the home to more than 10 ethnic groups, such as the Han, Zhuang, Miao, Yao, Hui and Dong.
 
Location
Guilin is situated 109°E longitude and 24° N latitude in the northeast of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The Guilin Government covers an area of 4,195 square kilometers. It is in a basin surrounded by the Yuecheng Range, Ocean Hill, Jiaqiao Range and Tianping Hill. Guilin is situated almost due west of Hong Kong and about a 1 hour fight away.
 
Area
Guilin has an area of 2,000 square kilometers.
 
Climate
Guilin lies in the northeast of Guangxi Province. The weather in this region is normally under the control of the tropical monsoon, which is considered to have distinct seasons, pleasant temperatures, and abundant rainfall. The local people describe the climate with this proverb "Scarcely snowing in winter, perennially flowers blossoming". The coldest month is January; the average temperature being 7.6 degrees C and the hottest is July where the average temperature is 28.3 degree centigrade. Guilin's annual rainfall is about 1,926 mm (80 inches).