Elephant Trunk Hill

Elephant Trunk Hill (Xiangbi Shan) is the most famous scenic spot in Guilin City. Located in where the Li River and Peach Blossom River (Taohua Jiang) merge, the landmark gets its name from its resemblance to an Elephant standing at the river's edge with its trunk in the water. The hill is over 300 million years old and is 55m high, 108m long and 100m wide. It is the symbol of Guilin and a creation of the famous Karst mountain formation.

The hill is in Elephant Trunk Hill Park. The trunk and body parts of the hill create a semi circle shaped gap called the Shuiyue Cave (Moon over the Water Cave). Water runs through the gap and at night creates a pretty image of a full moon with the reflection on the water which gives the cave its name and has been the inspiration for many Chinese stories and poems. There are important historical carvings and stone inscriptions in the cave which date back to the Tang dynasty (618-907) including a poem by Lu You, a great poet from ancient China.

High on the hill another cave known as "Elephant eye cave" provides a great view over Guilin. Puxian Pagoda, built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) stands on top of the hill which legend says it is the handle of a sword plunged into the elephant's back by the Emperor of Heaven. Under the hill there is an ancient-style Buddhist temple which is also worth seeing.

After visiting the hill tourists have nice walks and trails to wander around in the Park. Apart from the hill, all the areas have an Elephant theme in their design for you to enjoy.