On Oct 28, Guilin was honored as the first city in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region to join the prestigious "Cities with Nature" platform, announced during the Convention on Biological Diversity COP16's eighth local governments and cities summit.

This selection acknowledges Guilin's remarkable ecological protection and biodiversity conservation strides, enhancing its global profile as a world-class tourist destination.

Guangxi ranks second in the nation for ecological quality and third for biodiversity. The region is home to 19 national ecological civilization demonstration zones and six innovative practice bases.

It encompasses 223 protected natural areas and has introduced over 50 new plant species, alongside 136 terrestrial vertebrates. The notable presence of rare species, such as Bryde's whale and the white-headed langur, serves to emphasize the richness of Guangxi's ecosystem.

Guilin's selection highlights its commitment to safeguarding the Lijiang River and sustaining biodiversity. Key initiatives include integrated ecological projects across forests, rivers, and wetlands, increasing forest coverage to 55.04 percent, and discovering new species like the northern Guangxi frog, also known as nidirana guibeiensis.