Elephant Trunk Hill

Elephant Trunk Hill (Xiangshan) is the emblem of Guilin, a limestone hill on the western bank of the Li River in the Xiangshan District of Guangxi, China, shaped like an elephant lowering its trunk to drink from the water. Between the trunk and the body, erosion has carved an arch known as Water-Moon Cave, and when river and sky are still the opening and its reflection appear to form a full circle, an image that appears on countless Guilin souvenirs and posters. The scenic area sits where the Li River meets the Peach Blossom River, on Binjiang South Road, close to the southern end of the city centre. Entry to the park grounds is free with a reservation made through a WeChat or Alipay mini-program, while the inner park, with a path up the hill, a pagoda and viewing terraces, and the boat rides on the river are ticketed separately at roughly 75 yuan. A typical visit takes one to two hours. Most visitors walk the riverside path first, take photographs of the arch from the opposite bank or from a boat, and then, if the inner park is open, climb the stone steps to the top for a view over the river and the Guilin skyline. The best photographs of the whole elephant profile are usually taken from the riverbank promenade to the north or from a river boat looking back at the hill, with the water-moon reflection clearest on calm mornings. The site is open from about 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM, and the hill is floodlit in the evening, which makes sunset and after-dark visits popular and gives a quieter, cooler alternative to midday. Crowds are heaviest from mid-morning to mid-afternoon, when tour groups arrive, and during Chinese public holidays such as Golden Week in early October; early morning and weekday evenings are much calmer. The hill is reached by city buses 2, 13, 99 or 100, or by a short taxi ride from the centre for about 10 to 15 yuan. Children under 1.2 metres enter free, and the compact grounds make this one of the easiest stops for families and first-time visitors.