Guilin's landscape is the best in the world, and Elephant Trunk Mountain is the symbol of Guilin's landscape and a must-see attraction for everyone who travels Guilin. Xiangshan Scenic Area is located in Guilin City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, covering an area of 118,800 square meters. It is a diversified international boutique tourist attraction integrating green mountains, beautiful water, caves and stone beauty.
In 2003, Xiangshan Scenic Area was listed as a "recommended tourist attraction by the World Tourism Organization". In 2005, Xiangshan Scenic Area was selected as the first natural miracle of China's five most beautiful peak forests by China National Geographic's "Beauty China" activity. In 2017, Guilin Liangjiang Sihu Xiangshan Scenic Area was rated as a national AAAAA tourist attraction.
I. Scenic spot scenery
1. As soon as you enter the Elephant Mountain scenic spot, the elephant nose mountain, which looks like an elephant drinking water, will be seen, which is amazing to the magic of nature. Elephant Trunk Mountain is located at the intersection of the Li River and the Taohua River. The mountain is composed of Paleozoic sedimentary limestone layers, which is a typical karst landform. At the eastern end of the mountain, an east-west circular hole is formed between the elephant trunk and the elephant body, which is the famous Shuiyue Cave. Standing at the entrance of the cave, the breeze came slowly, the river flowed leisurely, and the cave was as bright as moonlight, as if in a dream. There are still many cliff stone carvings since the Tang and Song Dynasties in the cave. Among them, Han Yu, a poet of the Tang Dynasty, said, "Jiang is a green belt, and the mountains are like jasper hairpins", which adds a strong cultural heritage to this wonder.
2. Walking along the mountain path, you can reach Elephant Eye Rock. Looking at the two holes in the north and south here, you can have a panoramic view of the scenery on both sides of the Lijiang River. The magnificence of the Lijiang Hotel and the beauty of the sail shadow of the river waves are intoxicating. The Puxian Pagoda on the top of the mountain is also unique. It was built in the Ming Dynasty. From a distance, it looks like a sword hilt inserted on the back of the elephant, and like an elegant treasure bottle. It is rough, simple and elegant.
3. At night, Elephant Trunk Mountain shines with the reflection of the river under the light, forming a beautiful landscape of "elephant landscape and moon". At this time, Elephant Trunk Mountain seems to have been given new life and more charming. Whether it is enjoying the Elephant Trunk Mountain in the hazy smoke and rain in the morning, or indulge in the night scenery of "elephant landscape and moon" at night, it can make people feel the unique charm of Xiangbi Mountain in Guilin, make people nostalgic and forget to return, and it worth the trip.
II. Main attractions:
Elephant Bi Mountain: Elephant Bi Mountain, formerly known as Li Mountain, is located at the confluence of the Taohua River and the Li River in Guilin City. Because it looks like an elephant drinking water with its nose, it was later named Xiangbi Mountain. As a landmark scenic spot of Guilin tourism, Xiangbi Mountain was designated as the city logo of Guilin in 1995, and was also praised as the "Chinese symbol" by foreign tourists.
Shuiyue Cave: Shuiyue Cave is located at the eastern end of Xiangshan Mountain. It is bordered by Xiangshan Mountain in the north, the Li River in the east, and the Peach Blossom River in the west. It is a round cave running through both sides. The cave is 12 meters high, 9.5 meters wide and 17 meters long. It is like a large canopy door, in which the river ripples, like a bright moon floating on the water. Song Dynasty Jibei Chushi Shiyun: There is a bright moon at the bottom of the water, and a bright moon floats on the water. The water doesn't go through the moon, and the water still flows. Because of the name Water Moon Cave. There are also 22 stone carvings of the Tang and Song dynasties in the Shuiyue Cave, among which the famous sentence of Han Yu, a poet of the Tang Dynasty: Jiang Zuo Qingluo belt, and the mountain is like a jasper hairpin, which is also engraved here. There are as many as 3,065 characters in the cave, which is the water cave with the smallest wall area in the world but with the largest number of Tang and Song stone inscriptions. In 2015, he won the Guinness World Record.
Puxian Tower: There is a Puxian Tower on the top of Xiangbi Mountain. From a distance, it looks like a sword hilt inserted on the back of an elephant and an elegant treasure bottle. The tower was built in the Ming Dynasty as a lama-style solid brick tower with a history of more than 400 years. The tower is 13.6 meters high. On the north side of the tower, there is a statue of Bodhisattva carved with blue stone lines, and the words "Nan Wu Puxian Bodhisattva" is at the top. ** It is said that Puxian Bodhisattva specializes in wisdom and morality, and his mount is a six-toothed white elephant.
Guanyin Statue of Sending Zi: On the cliff behind Yunfeng Temple in the southern foothills of Xiangbi Mountain, there is a niche of "Zongzi Guanyin Statue" in the Ming Dynasty, which is also the only colorful cliff statue in Guilin. Guanyin Bodhisattva was dressed in gorgeous clothes, wearing a crown of heaven, holding a child in both hands and sitting on the lotus platform, with a round flame body and head light behind him. On both sides of the main statue, there is a waitress, combing her hair in a bun, and wearing a wide-sleeved robe. Two children stood on the left and right sides of the nal, bowing with their hands.
Yunfeng Temple: Yunfeng Temple is located in the southwest foothills of Xiangshan Mountain. It was first built in the Tang Dynasty and has been repaired many times. It was rebuilt in the 17th year of Qing Guangxu (1891) and was inhabited by nuns. In 1978, the Guilin Cultural Relics Management Committee rebuilt the temple with reference to the original system. The temple has a historical cultural relics exhibition room of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, which is open to the public.
Sheli Tower: Sheli Tower, located about 500 meters southwest of Xiangbi Mountain, in Wanshou Lane, Minzhu Road, not far from the south end of Wenchang Bridge. The Sheli Pagoda was originally a relic of the ancient "Kaiyuan Temple" in Guilin, which was built in the fourth year of Tang Xianqing (659). Originally a seven-level brick tower, more than 30 meters high, it was used to preserve the "reli" after the incineration of the body of the monk in the temple. The existing reli pagoda was rebuilt in the 18th year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty (1385). The tower is 13.22 meters high and 25 meters wide from east to west. It is a lama-style three-level brick tower. The front of the main gate, that is, the south gate, is engraved with the words "Reli Pagoda", and the names of the Eight King Kongs are listed on both sides of the foreheads of the four gates.
Sanhua Wine Cellar: In the abdomen of Xiangshan, there is a cave of nearly 3,000 square meters of Tibetan wine, which can hide thousands of cylinders and 2,000 tons of "Guilin Sanhua Wine". The cave wine collection in Xiangbi Mountain has a long history and has become the wine cellar of the official restaurant since the Northern Song Dynasty. Because the constant temperature of the cave is about 20 degrees Celsius for a long time, and the humidity is maintained at 80-100%, it is conducive to the esterification of wine. The wine hidden in the wine cave is generally 20 years old, some even more than 30 years, and the best wine has been stored for 50 years.
Love Island: In Xiangshan Park, there is a small island not far from Xiangbi Mountain, which is often a place for young men and women to date, so it is called "Love Island". On the island, you can see the beautiful "three mountain scenery" formed by Xiangbi Mountain, Chuanshan Mountain and Ta Mountain.
IV. Play route
Entrance: Navigate to Gate 3 of Elephant Trunk Mountain. It only takes 3 minutes to get to the front of Elephant Trunk Mountain.
Exit: Gate 2