Elephant Trunk Hill (Xiangbi Shan)

Elephant Trunk Hill rises at the point where the Taohua River joins the Li River in central Guilin, its silhouette and a large water-eroded arch giving the impression of an elephant dipping its trunk into the water to drink. The hill has become the visual emblem of Guilin, appearing on the city's official logo and reproduced widely across postcards and tourism material. Inside the small park surrounding the hill, a path leads to Puxian Pagoda, a Ming Dynasty structure sitting directly atop the elephant's 'back' that offers elevated views across the hill, the river confluence, and the surrounding karst skyline. The arch itself, known as Water-Moon Cave, can be approached from the riverbank and is at its most photogenic when the river level and light create a reflection through the opening. A full circuit of the park, including the climb to the pagoda, takes about an hour to ninety minutes. The classic photograph of the hill's elephant silhouette is taken for free from the opposite riverbank rather than from inside the paid park, and the hill is illuminated after dark, making it worth visiting twice: once in daylight and once in the evening.