Guilin - City of Parks

Guilin’s nature parks - Let's start from the Elephant Park with strange rock formations, old caves and spectacular vegetation.....

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Elephant Trunk Hill

The Elephant Trunk Hill rises from the place where waters of the Li River and Peach Blossom River are joining together. Its name reflects the shape given to the rock by the nature – a giant elephant dipping its trunk into the river and sipping the water.

The round-shaped space between the body, trunk and the water gained the name of Water Moon.

During clear nights the moonlight reflected on the water makes the arch looking like a full “Floating Moon”. I just have to believe it because the mostly cloudy weather did not offer me the chance to witness this nature’s marvel.

The iconic Elephant Trunk Hill towering 55m above the river’s level is considered as the symbol of Guilin and for sure this is the “must” to see for tourists. No wonder, you will find here a fisherman with trained cormorants ready for the photo shot.

From the top of the hill - the Puxian Pagoda remembering the time of the Ming dynasty peacefully watches over the Guilin’s valley.

Elephant Trunk Hill

    Since long the hill was a favorite place for artists looking in this landscape of rock and water for inspiration. They left behind part of themselves - their thoughts, skills of their hands in form of carvings and inscriptions.
The most famous inscription immortalized the poem by one of great Chinese poets of the 12th century - Lu You.

"There is a moon at the bottom of the water;
On the water the moon floats.
Water is flowing away but the moon stays;
When the moon is gone the water still remain."

The whole fishing idea is strikingly simple given the natural fishing skills of cormorants.
The trick is to tighten cormorant’s neck with a rope to such extend that it cannot swallow a bigger fish. The fisherman’s job is to claim the catch and restart the game. What a clever Chinese idea – chapeau!

Fishing cormorants.

Love Island
     Next to the Elephant Trunk Hill there is a beautiful island called Love Island. At the entrance to the narrow stone bridge leading to the island you will find the sign dedicated to our loved ones..…please do not ignore it.

Warning sign :-)

After successful crossing you find yourself in a little oasis covered with flowers, bushes and many statues symbolizing love. They are from the stone, yet radiate such warmness that it is impossible to pass by without a loving smile.

I think I know what do you feel seeing these pictures - kind of "All you need is love, love....all you need is love, love....."

Isn't it captivating? :-)

It is a truly enchanting place to spend time with someone close to you, especially after a busy day on the guided tour. Truly, one can say - "Love is in the air" along these windings paths....

I can share with you my own experience from the Love Island, experience so well described by Paul Scott (Jewel in the Crown)

Happiness is a feeling of warmness in the heart.
When suddenly you feel a smile on your face without even knowing why…

Fubo Hill park
      Despite the rain (seems to me nothing unusual in Guilin) we continued the tour of parks....

On the left: Peace Tree - red bags are the prayers for the peace and health for family and friends.
3rd from the left: Picture of the "pregnant" bamboo.

On the left: The monument of General Fubo (a hero during Han Dynasty at about 2000 years ago).

No wonder Guilin is not only a charming city but also the city of happy inhabitants.

With so many parks, with a nature overtaking large areas of the town in a carefully engineered approach (usually it is an other way around), with a “promotion” of the Love (here in capital “L” to emphasize the deep romanticism of places like the Love Island park), with all these soul touching late night events…it seems to be just the natural outcome.

I hope that pictures from Guilin presented throughout this Free Guilin City Pictures and Photos site are even more convincing than my words.



To continue the tour of Guilin in pictures, see more about parks and nature - click:

 Guilin - China's lake City -or- Guilin City Tour 

However:
If you want to enter the underground world of Guilin Caves, or cruise the famous Li River and then later evening see the fabulous Impression Liu-Sanjie show on the river's waters then click:
Guilin caves
Guilin: Li River cruise
Impression Liu Sanjie Show

And once you finish your Guilin tour, then take advantage of being in China to see Shanghai and/or Tibet or visit renewed Chengdu Panda Center by clicking:
Shanghai  --- and follow several pages

To see visit Tibet click: Mt Everest --- and follow several pages

And DO NOT miss opportunity to see Giant Pandas and their distinct cousins Red Pandas by clicking: Giant Pandas --- and follow several pages ....

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