Elephant Trunk Hill

Elephant Trunk Hill is a classic icon of Guilin tour, together with Li River.
At the southern end of town, one of Guilin's best-known sights is Xiang Bi Shan (Elephant Trunk Hill) which stands next to the Li River and is a lump of rock with a large hole in it. The shape of the rock is just like a giant elephant drinking water from river with its trunk, hence the name. Standing atop the rock, you can see the beautiful panoramic view of the town.

On the path that leads to the trunk, you have the option of going up to the top where Puxian Pagoda from the Ming dynasty circa 1400 to 1600 stands. It is a very simple pagoda, shaped like the handle of swords, and appears carved out of rock. Tall trees prevent this from being much of a view point. The legend of how the hill came goes like this: a magic elephant came each night to drink from the Li River. The elephant drank so much that it was drinking the river dry! The king prayed for the elephant's destruction and one night, the gods answered his prayers by thrusting a sword between the elephant's shoulders when he came for his nightly drink. The elephant then turned to stone. The Puxian Pagoda on the top of the hill is the handle the sword that thrusting the elephant.

Water Moon Cave (Shui Yue Dong) is between the trunk and the legs, which is a semi-round cave penetrated by water. The inverted reflection of the cave in water plus the part above forms a full moon. This phenomenon is unique and many laudatory inscriptions of beauty of Guilin's hills and waters from Tang, Song and nearby dynasties were found on the walls inside the cave. You can come to this spot by climbing the hill then down or rent a boat to land here.

Near the hill, there is the love island. It is very nice place for tourists walking around to enjoy the Li River and the park landscapes. You can also have snacks here with beer, local rice noodles and barbecues.

For years, the Elephant Trunk Hill has been considered the symbol of Guilin and found in the publications, trademarks or TV. It is one of the must see attractions for those who plan a Guilin tour.