Climate and Weather
Guilin has a sub-tropical monsoon climate with four mild and distinctive seasons. The weather in January is the coolest with an average temperature of 7.9 C (46 F). July is the hottest with an average temperature of 28.3 C (82.9 F). Warm clothes are recommended for winter-wear, while in spring and autumn something lighter with a woolen sweater will be comfortable. T-shirts with skirts, shorts or slacks are the best choice for summer when the temperature can be rather high. Summer is the rainy season, especially in May and June.

Always remember to bring an umbrella with you. Comfortable footwear suitable for walking is a must all year round. It would be wise to bring sun block with you, some medicine to prevent heatstroke and insect repellant Local herbal tea also helps travelers to become accustomed to the local weather and water.

The optimum time to travel in Guilin is from April to October. However, try to avoid the two golden weeks, namely May Day (1 May to 7 May) and National Day (1 October to 7 October), when all the people in China seem to move around. Also Spring Festival in January or February should also be avoided since more and more families take a trip rather than staying at home as before. At these times you can expect difficulties with hotel reservations, ticket booking and traffic conditions and prices are frequently much higher.

Local Festivals and Folk Custom
Festivals in Guilin are multifarious, as so many ethnic groups inhabit the city. Like any other place in China, common traditional holidays like Lunar New Year (The day falls between 22 January and 19 February, varying every year), Lantern Festival (15 day of 1 moon), Dragon Boat Festival (5 day of lunar 5 moon), Mid-Autumn Festival (15 of lunar 8 moon) are celebrated most ardently but the true highlights are undoubtedly the ethic holidays.

Third of March (lunar) is celebrated by the Zhuang ethnic group as the Song Festival. Man and woman, young and old will gather together and sing songs ranging from lyrics, old songs and love songs, etc. This holiday has developed into the Art Festival of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Miao's New Year falls in October (lunar), the specific day varying according to different places. This is a time for courtship when young people are free to choose their sweethearts. Young men will play reed flutes while girls will dress up in their best costumes.

Fireworks Festival is the Dong peoples' holiday. The specific day varies according to place, ranging from January to October (lunar). Three fireworks will be lighted for the population's prosperity, for good fortune and for a good harvest respectively.

Guilin Mountain and Water Tourism Festival falls in October to December, which is the off-season of Guilin. The government designed this festival to attract more tourists.

Other Odds and Ends

Phone Dialing Code: 0773
Postcode: 541002
Emergency Call
Fire: 119
Police: 110
Ambulance: 120
Weather Forecast: 121
Consumers' Complaint: 12315
Post Office: Zhongshan Nan Road and Zhongshan Bei Road

CAAC Ticket Center: the Aviation Building at No.18 Shanghai Road, Guilin

Information of Railway Station: Zhongshan Nan Road, Guilin

Christian Church: No.456, Zhongshan Zhong Road, Guilin

Money
Money exchange is offered in any one of the 28 exchange counters of Bank of China in Guilin. Bank of China Guilin Branch is located on No.5 Shanhu Bei Road.

Toilets in Guilin are worth mentioning since they are free, unlike those in most cities in China. All the toilets are beautifully decorated with advanced equipment.

Universities
Guilin University of Technology
Here is its International Exchange Dept.
Location: No. 12, Jiang'an Road, Guilin City, Guangxi
Postcode: 541004
Tel: 0773-5896079
Tax: 0773-5892796

Guangxi Normal University
Location: No. 15, Yucai Road, Guilin, Guangxi
This is the information for your reference (http://www.cice.gxnu.edu.cn/eciceweb/eciceweb/index.htm).