Guilin was first established by Emperor Qinshihuang (214 BC) as the Guilin Shire. It was located on the Guixiang "Corridor" which was an important passage connecting Zhongyuan and Lingnan. During the Three-Kingdom period, the Wu Kingdom built up Shi'an Shire here, and from then on Guilin has come to be a political and transition center. Till Tang Dynasty, Guilin had become a relatively big city with great halls and walls. In Song Dynasty Guilin was the capital of Guangnanxilu, which governed Guangxi and Hainan Island. In Ming Dynasty, Guilin was also the seat of Jingjiang Prince Mansion and Guangxi Three Departments. Emperor Yongli had been here twice. Our revolutionary pioneer Sun Yat-san had his residence set up here and directed the northward expedition. In 1940 Guilin was reset as a city and the capital of Guangxi Province.
So Guilin has been the political, economic and cultural center in northeast Gui Region ever since its founding.

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