Elephant Trunk Hill (Xiangbishan)

Elephant Trunk Hill — Xiangbishan — is Guilin’s most recognizable landmark and the undisputed symbol of the city, a limestone formation whose shape so convincingly resembles a giant elephant drinking from the Li River that it has been celebrated in Chinese poetry and painting for over a thousand years. Rising 55 meters above the confluence of the Peach Blossom River and the Li River in central Guilin, the hill is pierced at water level by the remarkable Water Moon Cave, a natural arch through which the river flows and whose reflection creates a perfect circle — representing the moon — in the water below. The cave walls are covered in Tang and Song dynasty inscriptions and carvings, making the site as culturally significant as it is geographically striking. Climbing to the summit rewards visitors with sweeping views over Guilin’s skyline, the Li River, and the surrounding karst peaks. A small pagoda crowns the hilltop, the Puxian Pagoda, dating from the Ming Dynasty. The hill sits within a well-maintained park that includes additional caves, pavilions, and riverside promenades ideal for leisurely strolling. At night, the hill is dramatically illuminated, drawing evening visitors who photograph its glowing reflection shimmering in the dark river. Elephant Trunk Hill is an essential first stop for any visitor to Guilin — it encapsulates the city’s identity and provides a geographic anchor for exploring the broader karst landscape of the Li River valley.