Sights in Guìlín
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Seven Stars Park
One of China's original tourist attractions, first opening to sightseers during the Sui dynasty, the 137-hectare Seven Stars Park makes for some pleasant strolls. There are peaks to climb, caves to explore, lawns to picnic on and even wild monkeys to see; early evening on Moon Tooth Hill (月牙山; Yuèyá Shān) is your best bet. Skip the thoroughly depressing zoo.
To get here, walk, cycle or catch bus 10 or 11 from the train station. From the park, free bus 58 runs to Wave Subduing Hill, Folded Brocade Hill and Reed Flute Cave.
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Crystal Palace of the Dragon King
The Crystal Palace of the Dragon King grotto can comfortably hold about 1000 people, though many more crammed in here during the war when the cave was used as an air-raid shelter to protect the locals.
Entry is pricy and you may want to try and slip away from the tiresome tour to explore by yourself. Surrounding walks in the park, including those up to Half-Hill Pavilion and across to Lotus Pond, are pleasant.
The park is on the northwestern outskirts of town. Take bus 3 from the train station to the last stop or hop on free bus 58. Alternatively, it's a pleasant half-hour bicycle ride. Follow the bus route along Lijun Lu, which runs into Xishan Lu and then Taohua Jiang…
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Returned Pearl Cave
On the southern slope of the hill is Returned Pearl Cave . The story goes that the cave was illuminated by a single pearl and inhabited by a dragon; one day a fisherman stole the pearl but he was overcome by shame and returned it. A 1000-year-old Buddha image is etched into the wall somewhere in the cave, along with more than 200 other images of the Buddha, most dating from the Song and Tang dynasties.
Somewhere, too, is a portrait and autograph by Mi Fu, a famous calligrapher of the Song dynasty. A sad sight is the Sword Testing Stones, which are remnants of stalactites hacked off by soldiers of the warlord showing off their metal and mettle.
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Elephant Hill Park
At the southern end of Guìlín where the Li River and the Taohua River converge, one of Guìlín's best-promoted sights is Elephant Hill Park, where Elephant Trunk Hill - unlike other misshapen lumps of rock with tenuous names extracted from Chinese myth - indeed resembles a proboscidean mammal dipping its snout into the Li River. Visit Water Moon Cave and head up the peak walk to Puxian Pagoda (Pǔxián Tǎ) for views of the park and the picturesque Li River.
Cormorant fishing in the Li River is a popular tourist drawcard. Take bus 2 or freebie buses 57 or 58 to the hill.
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Elephant Trunk Hill
At the southern end of Guìlín where the Li River and the Taohua River converge, one of Guìlín's best-promoted sights is Elephant Hill Park, where Elephant Trunk Hill - unlike other misshapen lumps of rock with tenuous names extracted from Chinese myth - indeed resembles a proboscidean mammal dipping its snout into the Li River. Visit Water Moon Cave and head up the peak walk to Puxian Pagoda (Pǔxián Tǎ) for views of the park and the picturesque Li River.
Cormorant fishing in the Li River is a popular tourist drawcard. Take bus 2 or freebie buses 57 or 58 to the hill.
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Sun Pagoda
Octagonal seven-storey Moon Pagoda (Yuè Tǎ) is connected to Sun Pagoda - the world's tallest copper pagoda - by an underwater tunnel. Constructed from a staggering 350 tons of copper (don't climb during lightning storms unless you want to be truly illuminated), the 41m-high Sun Pagoda has nine floors and must be one of the world's few pagodas equipped with a lift. Artful Chinese gǔzhēng(zither) performances are held in the choicely positioned teahouse near the base of Sun Pagoda.
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Moon Pagoda
Octagonal seven-storey Moon Pagoda is connected to Sun Pagoda (Rì Tǎ) - the world's tallest copper pagoda - by an underwater tunnel. Constructed from a staggering 350 tons of copper (don't climb during lightning storms unless you want to be truly illuminated), the 41m-high Sun Pagoda has nine floors and must be one of the world's few pagodas equipped with a lift. Artful Chinese gǔzhēng(zither) performances are held in the choicely positioned teahouse near the base of Sun Pagoda.
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Wáng Chéng
The entrance fee to Solitary Beauty Peak includes admission to Wáng Chéng, also known as Jingjiang Prince's City, a 14th-century Ming prince's mansion dating to the reign of Hongwu that was built by the nephew of the emperor, Jing Jiang, and is now home to Guangxi Normal University. During the Qing dynasty, the palace served as the Guangxi Provincial Examination House, and later Sun Zhongshan commandeered the grounds for his northern expedition from here.
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Camel Peak
A further attraction at Seven Stars park is Camel Peak, which indeed resembles a ruminating ship of the desert. View the hill from the front for its two-hump Bactrian camel impersonation or from the rear for its impression of a single-hump dromedary camel. In front of Camel Peak is a weather-beaten podium used by ex-President Bill Clinton when making a speech here; nearby is a sad-looking zoo, eager for both investment and visitors.
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Folded Brocade Hill
Folded Brocade Hill affords some of Guìlín's best views, complemented by restored pavilions, some originally dating from the Ming dynasty. Climb the stone pathway that leads you through the cooling relief of Wind Cave (风洞; Fēng Dòng), its walls decked with inscriptions and Buddhist sculptures, some damaged during the Cultural Revolution. Buses 1 and 2 run past the hill.
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Reed Flute Cave
Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger described the cave as 'poetic', although chances are he didn't have the dulcet tones of a Chinese tour guide ringing in his ears when the thought came to him. The huge Reed Flute Cave is a garish but nonetheless impressive grotto housing multicoloured lighting and fantastic stalactites and stalagmites. The entrance was once distinguished by clumps of reeds used to fashion musical instruments, hence the name, and the enormous Crystal Palace of the Dragon King was used as an air-raid shelter during wars. It's tempting to slip away from the tour groups, but bring a torch, as the illuminations are often turned off as the crowds…
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Duanli Gate
The gate to the south of Wáng Chéng is Duanli Gate, marking the north-south line that runs through the complex.
Buses 1 and 11 go up Zhongshan Beilu past the western side of the peak. Alternatively, take bus 2, which goes past the eastern side along the river. Both buses leave from Guìlín train station.
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Pagoda Hill
If you tire of the cave at Tunnel Hill Park, you can cross the Xiaodong River (小东江; Xiǎodōng Jiāng) - a small branch of the Li - and hike up to a fairly interesting pagoda on Pagoda Hill. Near the summit of the hill is a wind-eroded chasm that supposedly resembles a moonscape from afar.
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Flower Bridge
Traversing Flower Bridge into the park from the main gate, one of the first things you will notice is a political slogan carved deeply and ineradicably into the rock on your left at the end of the bridge; the characters proclaim 'Long Live Mao Zedong Thought' (毛泽东思想万岁).
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Wave-Subduing Hill
Close to Solitary Beauty Peak and beside the western bank of the Li River, Wave-Subduing Hill offers fine views of the town. Upon entering the gate, look out for the large rice pot left behind from the Dingyue Temple - it's big enough to cook rice for 1000 people.
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Dark Dragon Cave
Seven Stars Park's two highlights are Seven Star Cave (七星岩; Qīxīng Yán) - its stalagmites and stalactites coloured by floodlights - and Dark Dragon Cave, with inscribed steles that date back more than 1500 years.
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Seven Star Cave
Seven Stars Park's two highlights are Seven Star Cave - its stalagmites and stalactites coloured by floodlights - and Dark Dragon Cave (Lóngyīn Dòng), with inscribed steles that date back more than 1500 years.
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Christian Church
Famed more for its natural wonders than for its spiritual civilisation, Guìlín has few Buddhist temples of note. A modern-looking and rather gaunt grey stone Christian Church can be found at 50 Zhongshan Zhonglu.
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South Gate
On the northern shore of Rong Lake, the South Gate is all that remains of the old city wall. Strikingly illuminated, the gate is one of the features of a pleasant lakeside walk around the shores of Rong and Shan Lakes.
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Tunnel Hill Park
South of Seven Stars Park and still on the eastern side of the Li River, this Tunnel Hill Park is expensive, but rates a mention as many locals insist its cave is superior to those of Seven Stars Park.
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Thousand Buddha Cave
Nearby is Thousand Buddha Cave, though the name's an exaggeration - there seem to be a couple of dozen statues at most, dating from the Tang and Song dynasties.
Bus 2 runs past the hill.
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Chengyun Gate
The entrance to Wáng Chéng is via Chengyun Gate on the palace's southern perimeter. Chengyun Gate itself is accessed via two historic gates, Zunyi Gate in the west and Tiren Gate to the east.
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Round Viewing Pavilion
Copious English signs steer you around Seven Stars Park to the major sights, but you could head up to Round Viewing Pavilion to get your bearings and a view of the park.
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Solitary Beauty Peak
A peaceful, leafy retreat from the city centre, the entrance fee for this famous pinnacle includes admission to Wáng Chéng (王城), a 14th-century Ming prince's mansion, now home to Guǎngxī Normal University (lucky students!). The 152m peak is a steep climb, but affords fine views of Guìlín. Buses 1 and 2 both stop nearby.
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Qixia Temple
Qixia Temple is one of Guìlín's few Buddhist temples, although it is a late-20th-century restoration (it was frequently a victim of war and revolt).
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