Seven Star Park

Seven Star Park, at 1 Qixing Road in the Qixing District of Guilin, Guangxi, China, is the largest park in the city. It takes its name from seven hills laid out like the stars of the Big Dipper, and it spreads across both banks of the Hua Bridge area and the Peach Blossom River. The main sights are Seven Star Cave, a lit limestone cavern entered from the base of the hill, Camel Hill, a rock formation shaped like a camel resting on the ground, the Flower Bridge, a multi-arched stone bridge dating from the Song dynasty period and rebuilt over time, and a small zoo with pandas and other animals. Paths wind between the hills, gardens and ponds, and there are viewing points on the slopes. The standard ticket costs about 55 yuan, and a version including the zoo and extra areas costs about 75 yuan, with prices to be confirmed on Trip.com. Children under 1.2 metres enter free, students and seniors aged 60 to 64 with ID pay half, and visitors aged 65 and over enter free. The park opens around 6:00 AM and the ticket office closes about 5:30 PM, with closing near 6:00 PM. Most visitors spend two to three hours, enough to see the cave, walk to Camel Hill and cross the Flower Bridge. Early mornings are popular with locals who exercise, sing and dance in the park, which gives a lively, authentic atmosphere before tour groups arrive around mid-morning. Autumn mornings offer cooler walking, and sunset is the best time for the lit cave. Good photograph spots include the Flower Bridge reflected in the river, the view from the Camel Hill platform and the cave interior. The park is reached by buses 10, 11 or 100, or by taxi from the centre for about 12 to 18 yuan. Weekends and holidays are crowded, and the terrain includes steps and slopes.