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Elephant Trunk Hill and Water Moon Cave in Guilin in 2018

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Elephant Trunk Hill

象鼻山 Elephant Trunk Hill · Xiangshan District, Guilin, Guangxi, China

Photo: xiquinhosilva · CC BY 2.0

Where the Li River meets the Taohua River, see "the Elephant Drinking Water" and wait for moonlight to shine through Water Moon Cave.

Know before you go

  • Do not climb over railings down to the slippery rocks by the river
  • do not scratch the inscriptions in Water Moon Cave
  • do not swim in the river on your own

This article is Not yet verified. Please check official announcements for prices, opening hours and dates.

Culture

Culture & customs

Background

Elephant Trunk Hill, also called Elephant Hill, stands in the center of Guilin where the Taohua River meets the Li River. Shaped like an elephant stretching its trunk to drink, it has been made the emblem of Guilin. The round opening between the trunk and the body is called Water Moon Cave; the river flows through it, and its reflection combines with the arch to form a "moon in the water," and the cave walls bear cliff inscriptions from many dynasties. On the summit stands the Puxian Pagoda, built in the Ming dynasty, and halfway up the hill is a through-cave that looks like the elephant's eye. In 2017 the "Two Rivers and Four Lakes · Elephant Hill Scenic Area" was rated a national 5A tourist attraction. Folk legend says Elephant Trunk Hill is the transformed elephant that served as the Jade Emperor's mount: unwilling to return to heaven because it loved Guilin's landscape, it was stabbed by the Jade Emperor's sword and turned into a stone hill, and the sword's hilt became the Puxian Pagoda. This is legend, not history.

Local customs

Most visitors photograph the elephant's trunk and the Water Moon Cave from the opposite bank or from viewpoints within Elephant Trunk Hill Park, and you can also take a bamboo raft or boat for a closer look from the river. A trail leads up to the summit and the Puxian Pagoda, and once the lights come on at night, the riverside is busy with residents and visitors out for a stroll.

Religion & beliefs

  • Puxian Pagoda enshrines the bodhisattva Samantabhadra, and Yunfeng Temple within the scenic area is a Buddhist site. When climbing the pagoda or entering the temple, please speak softly and dress appropriately, don't fool around or pose for photos in front of Buddha statues, and don't climb the pagoda base
  • enjoy the folk legends as stories, without retelling them loudly or acting them out in the temple.

Etiquette & taboos

Etiquette & taboos

Rules that apply here

Essential restrictionsSafetyCountry-wide guidance · China

China: At Qingming tomb-sweeping, no burning paper or open flames in wooded areas

Do

  • Check whether the cemetery requires a reservation before you go
  • Stay quiet while laying flowers, bowing and observing silence
  • Consider flowers, tree planting or online memorials instead of burning paper
  • Dress soberly for tomb-sweeping
  • Take offering wrappers and rubbish with you when you leave

Don’t

  • Don't burn paper, incense or candles, or set off firecrackers, in woods or grassland
  • Don't talk loudly or joke around in the cemetery
  • Don't block cemetery paths for long to take photos

During fire-prevention periods, burning paper, incense and candles is strictly banned in forest and grassland fire zones, and anyone who starts a wildfire may be held legally liable. Whether and where a cemetery allows burning is set by its own rules on site.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Xinhua: Two departments deploy safety measures for the Qingming holiday

Essential restrictionsPublic transportCountry-wide guidance · China

China: Go through security before the metro, and park shared bikes in marked zones

Do

  • Cooperate with the security check at the entrance and put bags through the scanner
  • On the platform, wait beside the doors and let passengers off first
  • Register with your real name in the app before riding a shared bike
  • Park in a marked bay or an app-designated spot, and make sure the lock clicks shut
  • If the brakes or lock don't work, switch bikes and report it in the app

Don’t

  • Don't linger in the doorway or force your way through closing doors
  • Don't leave bikes in traffic lanes, fire lanes or on tactile paving
  • Don't let children under 12 ride shared bikes

If you refuse the security check you will not be let into the station. Badly parked bikes are removed, and riders may face action under local rules and the operator's terms.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: People's Daily Online: Beijing issues standards for shared bike technology, services, parking

Essential restrictionsPublic transportCountry-wide guidance · China

China: No smoking anywhere on high-speed trains, and no phone calls in quiet carriages

Do

  • Sit in the carriage and seat shown on your ticket
  • Put large luggage in the racks at the carriage ends or overhead
  • Use headphones for videos and music
  • In a quiet carriage, step outside to make or take calls
  • Before getting off, check around your seat and take your rubbish and belongings

Don’t

  • Don't smoke anywhere on the train, including toilets and vestibules
  • Don't take someone else's seat
  • Don't choose a quiet carriage when travelling with babies or toddlers (12306 advises against it)

Smoking on a bullet train can set off smoke alarms and slow or even stop the train. Smokers are fined by the police and, according to reports, may also be barred from buying bullet-train tickets; official rules prevail. If someone breaks the quiet-carriage rules, tell the train staff.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Travel China Guide: Smoking on Chinese trains

Essential restrictionsSafetyCountry-wide guidance · China

China: Stay on open sections of the Great Wall and never carve the bricks

Do

  • Walk only on open sections and marked routes
  • On steep stretches, stop and steady yourself before taking photos, and watch your step
  • Wear non-slip shoes, carry enough water, and turn back if you are tired
  • Carry your rubbish down or put it in a bin
  • Check opening arrangements before you go; official announcements prevail

Don’t

  • Don't carve, write on or prise loose the bricks
  • Don't climb over fences or onto closed, crumbling walls and watchtowers
  • Don't run or push on steep sections

Carving the Great Wall counts as damaging a cultural relic: one visitor who carved his name at Badaling was given administrative detention and a fine by the police and was blacklisted by the scenic area. Closed sections are not maintained and can be dangerous.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: China News Service: Man detained for five days and fined 200 yuan for carving on the Badaling Great Wall

Essential restrictionsEveryday mannersCountry-wide guidance · China

China: book popular sights in advance, under your real name, through official channels

Do

  • Check the booking rules on the site's official website, mini program or account before you go
  • Enter every companion's ID details in advance and pick an entry time slot
  • Children, seniors and others with free or reduced tickets also book as required and show ID
  • Book early for holidays and summer; popular dates often fill quickly

Don’t

  • Don't trust third parties offering to grab tickets or sell 'insider' tickets
  • Don't assume a free ticket means no booking is needed
  • Don't count on buying tickets at the gate on peak days

Once a popular date is fully booked, you may be turned away. China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism requires sites to keep in-person ticket windows and to accommodate seniors and others, but on-site quotas are limited; booking windows, release times and visitor caps are subject to official announcements.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: China Daily: Ministry of Culture and Tourism requires all scenic areas to keep ticket windows

Essential restrictionsEntryCountry-wide guidance · China

China: set up mobile payment before you go; hotels and tickets are booked under your passport

Do

  • Link a foreign bank card to Alipay or WeChat Pay before departure
  • Carry some cash in yuan for small stalls, remote areas or payment glitches
  • Expect real-name checks at hotels, for train tickets and popular sights; use your passport
  • Make sure the name and number on bookings match your passport exactly
  • If a station gate cannot read your passport, use the staffed lane

Don’t

  • Don't wait until you arrive to set up payment; verification can take time
  • Don't assume cash alone or a bank card alone will work everywhere
  • Don't book with details that differ from your passport

Without a working payment method, or with mismatched ID details, you may be unable to check in, buy tickets or enter sights. Payment limits, fees and platform rules are subject to official announcements.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Gov.cn: Payment services for foreign visitors to China

Essential restrictionsEveryday mannersCountry-wide guidance · China

China: Queue, don't smoke where banned, and never carve on heritage sites

Do

  • Wait your turn in line, and follow staff directions when it's crowded
  • On buses and the metro, let passengers off first and offer seats to those in need
  • Book popular sights and museums in advance, under your real name, through official channels
  • Sort your rubbish into the right bins
  • Use serving chopsticks and spoons, and order only what you can eat

Don’t

  • Don't cut in line or walk side by side blocking the way
  • Don't smoke where it is banned; many cities ban smoking in indoor public places and on public transport
  • Don't carve or write on historic buildings or ancient trees, or climb on or touch relics
  • Don't use flash or tripods in exhibition halls
  • Don't talk loudly or play music out loud in public places

Staff will stop you from queue-jumping, smoking where banned or marking relics, and smoking in no-smoking areas or damaging relics can also lead to fines under the law. Fine amounts, booking methods and opening hours are as officially announced.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Palace Museum official site: Visit

Don’t DON'T

  • Do not climb over railings down to the slippery rocks by the river
  • do not scratch the inscriptions in Water Moon Cave
  • do not swim in the river on your own
  • do not take unlicensed 'wild bamboo rafts'
  • do not push and shove for photo spots on the walkways
  • do not climb over railings near the river under the lights at night
  • do not pick flowers or plants in the scenic area

Locals appreciate DO

  • Watch the reflection of the elephant's trunk from the opposite bank early in the morning or at dusk
  • climb to the summit to see the Puxian Pagoda up close
  • take a bamboo raft on the river to see the Water Moon Cave
  • stroll along the Li River at night to see the lights
  • combine it with the Two Rivers and Four Lakes night cruise in one evening
  • photograph the misty, ink-wash feel of the landscape after rain or on hazy days

Plan your visit

Practical info

Travel tips

  • Allow 1–1.5 hours, plus an hour if you climb to the top or take a bamboo raft. Elephant Trunk Hill is in central Guilin, about a 15–20 minute walk along Binjiang Road from the Zhengyang Pedestrian Street and Shan Lake area, or take a bus to near Elephant Hill Park. Opening hours, reservation requirements and bamboo raft and boat services are subject to official announcements by the scenic area and the Guilin government
  • during renovation some areas may be fenced off. Combine with the Jingjiang Princes' City and Solitary Beauty Peak, the Sun and Moon Pagodas and a night cruise on the Two Rivers and Four Lakes: see the princes' city by day, Elephant Trunk Hill in the evening, and take a boat around the Two Rivers and Four Lakes at night. Guilin is rainy in summer, and raft services may be suspended when the river rises after rain, so check the weather and the scenic area's notices before you go. The riverside paths along the Li River are cool in the morning and evening, good for walking and photos
  • the midday sun is strong, so protect yourself from the sun and stay hydrated.
Sources & verification notes

Wikipedia: Elephant Trunk Hill

Wikipedia: Elephant Trunk Hill

Bendibao: Introduction to the Elephant Trunk Hill Scenic Area, Guilin

NetEase News: report on the Guilin Elephant Hill scenic area

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