• Elephant Trunk Hill

  • Elephant Trunk Hill (Xiangbishan) -  Situated on the western bank of the Li River in the southeastern part of the city, Elephant Trunk Hill is a landmark of Guilin.

    It looks like an elephant, dipping its snout into the Lijiang River, hence the name "Elephant Trunk Hill". This sight is very representative of the landscape around Guilin and is a symbol of Guilin itself.With an elevation of about 200 meters (660 feet), the hill was the result of limestone deposits left around 3.6 million years ago. Between the trunk and the legs of the elephant, there is a round cave running through the hill from north to south. It looks like a moon floating on the water, hence the name Water-Moon Cave. On a fine evening, the cave with the waving waters gleaming under the moonlight creates a spectacular scene of three moons: the water-moon cave, the moon in the sky and the moon reflected on the water. A pavilion was built in the cave where poets gathered and now on the cliff in and around the cave are numerous poets inscriptions from past dynasties.

    Walking out of Water-Moon Cave, you will find a flight of steps ascending to the elephants eye at the southern hillside. The eye is actually a 2-meter-high (7 feet) , 20-meter-long (66 feet) cave that goes through the hill from south to north. It is called Elephant Eyes Cave. The eye on the northern hillside is inaccessible. The cave offers excellent views of the Li River. Leaving the eye, the steps continue to the top of the hill where a Tibetan-style stupa stands. It dates from the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644) and is called
    Puxian Pagoda

    Travel Tips:

    • Entrance Fee: RMB 25
      Take Bus No. 2 to Wenchang Bridge, then cross the bridge and the park is in sight.
      Open hours: 8:30-18:30

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