Guihu

This guide to Guihu in Guilin follows the shoreline back nine centuries, when it was a moat dug to drown any army that tried to storm the city's Song-dynasty walls. It traces the canal an official named Wang Zudao carved in 1106 to keep the moat fed, and what happened once the lake feeding that canal silted shut. You'll hear how the water nearly disappeared for good before the city found a way to bring it back. Look for the mix of trees and stone bridges planted with help from gardeners abroad.