Elephant Trunk Hill
象鼻山
The emblem of Guilin, a stone hill shaped like an elephant drinking where the Li and Taohua Rivers meet. The reflection in the Water Moon Cave is Guilin's classic image.
Elephant Trunk Hill sits on the west bank of the Li River in urban Guilin, where the Taohua River meets the Li. The hill rises about 55 meters. The side facing the river has been eroded into a round opening, and the whole hill looks like an elephant lowering its trunk into the river to drink, which gives it its name. It is the emblem of Guilin and is also home to the cellars of Guilin Sanhua liquor. Highlights include the Water Moon Cave, the round opening between the elephant's trunk and body through which the river flows. On moonlit nights you can see the line “a bright moon in the water, and a bright moon floating on the water”. Also see the Puxian Pagoda on the elephant's back, a solid brick pagoda from the Ming dynasty that looks like a treasure vase on its back, the carved rock inscriptions inside the hill, and the Lover's Island viewing platform. Entering the Elephant Mountain scenic area lets you walk to the foot of the trunk. You can climb the stone steps onto the elephant's back to see the Puxian Pagoda and look down over the Li River. Visitors who don't want to buy a ticket can view the hill from across the river along Binjiang Road, from Jiefang Bridge, or from Zizhou Park on the east bank of the Li River. The most photogenic shot is the reflection taken from Jiefang Bridge after the evening lights come on. Admission to the Elephant Mountain scenic area is about 55 yuan. In recent years there have been free-admission periods for city visitors, so check the official information. The evening “Legend of Elephant Hill” light show costs extra. Getting there: take bus 2, 16, or 23 to the “Elephant Mountain Park” stop, or walk about 15 minutes from Zhengyang Pedestrian Street. Plan about one hour here, and combine it with Two Rivers and Four Lakes and Zhengyang Pedestrian Street for a half-day outing. Note that at noon the light is backlit, so the best photos are taken in early morning or at dusk. The site is small, and photo spots get crowded on holidays.
Opening hours
06:30–19:00 (extended to 21:30 in summer)
Nearby sights
- Two Rivers and Four Lakes / Sun & Moon Pagodas
- Li Zongren's Official Residence
- Guihai Stele Forest Museum
- Dongxi Alley & Zhengyang Pedestrian Street
- Xiaoyao Tower
- Jingjiang Princes' City & Duxiu Peak
- Diecai Hill (Folded Brocade Hill)
- Seven Star Park