Elephant Trunk Hill, embraced by Xiangshan Park of the same name, stands on the western bank of Li River in the south central area of Guilin city. This hill is so named because it outlines a vivid image of an elephant sipping water from the river with its trunk. It is the symbol of Guilin and its karst landscape.

Legend of Elephant Trunk Hill
There is a legend about Elephant Trunk Hill. It says that an elephant belonged to the Emperor of Heaven came down to earth to help the people in their work. This angered the Emperor of Heaven who stabbed the back of the elephant while it was drinking water on the river bank and turned it into stone. Actually, the hill is a limestone karsts formation of 3.6 hundred million years old.

Water Moon Cave
Between the body and the trunk there is a semi round opening, known as "Water Moon Cave", which is about 10 meters high and 20 meters deep. It looks like a full moon floating on the surface of the water with the moonlight reflected on the waves. Over 70 inscriptions from the Tang and Song dynasties were found on the walls inside this cave, praising the beauty of the hill and waters nearby.

Puxian Pagoda
On the top of the hill stands the 2-storey Puxian Pagoda built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). People said that the pagoda shaped as the handle of a dagger with which the elephant was killed. From the hilltop, visitor can enjoy a beautiful panoramic view of guilin city, and its dreamlike Li River.

"Elephant Legend" Night Show
Xiangshan Park has staged a large-scale hypermedia performance "Elephant Legend" since March, 2013. With the body of Elephant Hill as the backdrop, this night show uses colorful lights, amazing music and natural sights to demonstrate beautiful scenery and the culture of Guilin. There are four sections in the show, namely Primitive Guilin, Mysterious Village, Phantom Theater, and Legend of God Elephant. No fixed seating area there; audiences need to walk around the park and stop at four points to cover the full performance there.

Within the park, you can choose to take a relaxing rafting on the river around the Elephant Trunk Hill; and it is also the best way to snap the whole picture of the hill.

Admission fee: RMB 70 for adults and children above 1.2 meters; Free for children less than 1.2 meters in height.
Opening hours: 07:00 - 18:30 (November 1 - March 31); 06:30 - 19:00 (April 1 - October 31);