Yueya (Crescent) Pond is located at the east foot of the peak.
Inscriptions can be found on every face of the mountain.
We were returned to our hotel and given a free afternoon. Kate and I decided to visit the nearby Elephant Trunk Hill.
Fir Lake (Shan Hu) is located directly in the center of the city and was only a block from our hotel.
The Sun and Moon Pagodas in Fir Lake
The Sun Pagoda is the higher of the two at nine stories and is the tallest copper pagoda in the world. The silvery Moon Pagoda is seven stories high.
Trees growing out of the water
A swan sits on Binjiang Lu Street.
Elephant Trunk Hill (Xiangbishan) is located at the confluence of the Li and Peach Blossom Rivers. It looks like a huge elephant stretching its trunk out to drink water, and is the symbol of the karst landscape in the area.
Entry ticket to the park
Water Moon Cave - Between the elephant trunk and its body space is a round cave with the waters of Li River flowing through it. It is said to resemble a full moon drifting on the water, thus its name.
Local minorities dress in traditional costumes.
Cormorant fishing is a traditional fishing method in which fishermen use trained birds to fish in rivers. Though it used to be a successful fishing industry, its primary use today is to serve tourism.
The cormorants are a fairly large family of fisheaters residing along freshwater and saltwater shores around the world.
Despite spending much time in the water, they do not possess the waterproofing oil of other seabirds and so must spend much time drying their wings.
Crossing Peach Blossom River
Wenchang Bridge
Yun Feng Si is a Buddhist templ, built during the Tang Dynasty. It is nestled at the southwest foot of the hill.
The entrance
The Buddha sits behind rows of decorative candles.
A large bell now rests silently.
Taking its sources from the Mao’er Mountain to the northeast of Guilin, the Li River (Lijiang) flows through Guilin, past Yangshuo and eventually empties into the Xijiang River in Wuzhou, a total distance of 270 miles.
The river is higher than usual right now because of all the rain. Normally it is only 5 - 7 feet deep.
Life along the river
Many people make a living off the tourist industry.
A small temple rests on the river banks.
Water Moon Cave (Shui Yue):
During a full moon, the shimmering waves create a fantastic scene which has been highly honored by poets over history. Over 70 inscriptions from the Tang (618 - 907) and Song (960 - 1279) Dynasties are carved on the walls in and around this cave, praising the beauty of the hills and waters nearby.
View from inside the cave
The numerous inscriptions
We then hiked to the top of the hill for a view of the city.
The hike up (and down) was steep and slippery from the rain.
The view
On top of the hill stands Puxian Pagoda. Built in the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644), it resembles the handle of a sword.
A good luck symbol hangs from the trees.
Eventually it was time for us to head back.
Elephant Trunk Hill (also called Li Hill and Chengshui Hill) is 180 feet tall, 350 feet long and 330 feet wide, with an elevation of 650 feet.
Looking up at Puxian Pagoda
In the neighboring park were an array of elephant statues.
This wall shows the evolution of the elephant.
