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Elephant Trunk Hill

Review

As this Hill looks like a huge elephant stretching its trunk and drinking water it got the name Elephant Trunk Hill. It is considered as the symbol of Guilin and has been one of the most famous tourist attractions in Guilin since Tang Dynasty nearly 1000 years ago. Between the trunk and the legs is the Shui Yue Cave (Water Moon Cave), which is a semi-round cave penetrated by water. Moreover in and around the cave there are many carvings and inscriptions. On a moonlight night, the glittering lunar light reflecting on the river forms a fantastic scene, which has been highly honored by many poets and painters throughout history. There still are many poems and prose poems left based on the fantastic scenery of the Elephant Trunk Hill.

History

With a history of approximately 3.6 hundred million years, Elephant Trunk Hill towers 55m above the Li River, measuring 108 meters in length and 100 meters in width with an elevation of 200 meters above sea level. If you stand on top of the hil you can see a beautiful panoramic view of Guilin City. There are many legends about how Elephant Trunk Hill formed. One of them being that an elephant from Heaven came to drink from the Li River every night. The elephant drank so much that the river was almost dry and angered the Heavenly King. As a result, he gave an order to kill the elephant. A sword pierced between the elephant’s shoulders one night. The elephant turned to stone. The Puxian Pagoda on top of the hill is the handle of the sword that pierced into the elephant. However historically the story would be inaccurate because the Puxian Pagoda was built in the Ming Dynasty. Water Moon Cave (Shui Yue Dong) is between the elephant’s trunk and legs. It is a semi-round cave penetrated by water. It looks like it is floating above water, hence it’s name. In the west of Elephant Trunk Hill Park, there lies a Buddhist Pagoda. It was built in the Tang Dynasty in 657. Jianzhen, an Eminent monk, failed 5 times to reach Japan and finally got there the sixth time. When he failed the fifth time he came to this Buddhist Pagoda in Guilin. This pagoda is one of the most famous ancient Buddhist pagodas in China. Elephant Trunk Hill is a landmark for Guilin. For years it has attracted millions of visitors from nearby and abroad. Its glory will last forever.

Travel guide

Opening Hours Admission Fee
April to October: 6:30 – 19:00 06:30 - 18:00* Scenic spots are open from 08:30 to 17:00. CNY 75 for adults and children over 3.9 feet (1.2 meters).
November to March: 7:00 – 18:30 07:00 - 17:00 * Scenic spots are open from 09:00 to 16:00. Free for children less than 3.9 feet in height.
Here is the location and video link