Elephant Trunk Hill Guilin (象鼻山) — Guilin's Symbol, Water-Moon Cave & the Li River at Night 2026

Q: How much is the entry fee for Elephant Trunk Hill?

Since 2021 Elephant Trunk Hill Park has been free to enter — there is no longer a ticket (it used to cost around ¥55–70 per person). You do, however, need to reserve a slot by scanning a QR code at the entrance with WeChat or Alipay, or by booking online beforehand. Separate activities such as a bamboo-raft ride or an evening boat tour cost extra, from roughly ¥100 (~฿500), with prices varying by season.

Q: When is the best time to visit Elephant Trunk Hill?

Early morning, around 07:00–09:00, is best for photos — fewer people, soft light and a still river that mirrors the elephant. The evening, from just before sunset into the night, is beautiful in a different way, because coloured lights are projected onto the rock face after dark. For the classic full-elephant shot, stand at the riverside viewing platform inside the park near Gate 2, or walk along the Li River path to view it from a distance.

Q: What are Elephant Trunk Hill's opening hours?

The park is open roughly 07:00–21:30 daily, with last entry around 21:00. From April to November it may open earlier, around 06:30, while from December to March it opens around 07:00. Times can shift slightly with the season and with evening events, so it is worth checking before you go. A walk around the hill takes about an hour.

Q: How do you get to Elephant Trunk Hill — does Guilin have a metro?

Guilin does not have a metro or subway. You get around the city by public bus, taxi or the DiDi ride-hailing app. Elephant Trunk Hill is in the centre of the city on the Li River at No. 1 Binjiang Road. If you are staying near Guilin Railway Station you can walk along the river in about 20 minutes, or take one of the many buses that pass nearby (fares around ¥1–2). A taxi or DiDi from the city centre takes just a few minutes.

Q: What is the Water-Moon Cave (水月洞) and why see it?

The Water-Moon Cave is a semicircular arch about 12 metres high cut clean through the foot of the hill, right in the gap between the elephant's trunk and its legs — the feature that makes the hill look like an elephant drinking. The name 'Water-Moon' comes from full-moon nights, when the moon's reflection appears through the arch on the water's surface, so a moon seems to float both in the sky and in the river. The cave walls are also carved with more than 50 poems and inscriptions from the Tang and Song dynasties.

Get to know it

Why Elephant Trunk Hillis the face of Guilin

Picture this: you are standing by the Li River at first light, the sky still grey, looking across a sheet of still water at a big grey block of stone with an arch punched clean through its foot, the river flowing under it — and then it clicks. It is an elephant. A giant elephant lowering its trunk to drink, the arch the gap between trunk and front legs. This is the image that has been on Guilin's postcards, postmarks and city logo for decades.

Elephant Trunk Hill (象鼻山, often shortened to 象山) sits in the middle of Guilin right at the confluence of the Li River and the Peach Blossom (Taohua) River. It is a karst limestone hill that water and time carved over millions of years into an elephant shape so convincing it is almost uncanny. To the Chinese it is the emblem of the city — what the Eiffel Tower is to Paris. Come to Guilin and miss the elephant, and somehow you have not quite arrived.

What makes the hill more than just an oddly shaped rock is the detail hidden in it: the Water-Moon Cave (水月洞), the arch that forms the elephant's "trunk"; a Ming-dynasty Puxian Pagoda on the summit; and a legend of a heavenly elephant told for hundreds of years. Around the hill is an easy riverside park you can walk in about an hour, which makes it the perfect way to open a Guilin trip before heading out on a river cruise or to Yangshuo.

Elephant Trunk Hill, Guilin — a karst limestone hill shaped like an elephant dipping its trunk into the Li River, with the Water-Moon Cave arch and a small summit pagoda — Elephant Trunk Hill — you can clearly see the "trunk" arch (the Water-Moon Cave) dipping into the Li River, and the small Puxian Pagoda up on the summit.

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Entry

Free (since 2021)

Scan QR to reserve · used to be ~¥55–70

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Best time

Early morning / dusk

Mornings are quiet · lights play on the rock at night

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Getting there

No metro

Bus / taxi / DiDi · ~20 min walk from the railway station

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Highlight

Water-Moon Cave

The "trunk" arch, ~12 m high + a summit pagoda

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Opening hours

07:00–21:30

Last entry ~21:00, daily

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Time needed

About 1 hour

A loop of the riverside park + photos

What to see

5 things to findin and around the hill

From the trunk arch to the summit pagoda to the view from across the river — knowing them first makes the visit far better.

1

Water-Moon Cave (水月洞) — the elephant's "trunk"

An arch ~12 m high · at the foot of the hill by the river

This is the star of the show: a semicircular arch about 12 metres high cut clean through the foot of the hill, which is exactly what makes it look like an elephant lowering its trunk to drink. The name "Water-Moon" comes from full-moon nights, when the moon's reflection appears through the arch on the water — so a moon seems to float both in the sky and in the river at once. The cave walls are covered with more than 50 poems and inscriptions from the Tang and Song dynasties, a little open-air museum of calligraphy.
2

Puxian Pagoda (普贤塔) on the summit

A Ming-dynasty brick pagoda · on the elephant's "back"

Up on top, on what looks like the elephant's back, stands a small Ming-dynasty brick pagoda named for the bodhisattva Samantabhadra (Puxian). Legend says it is the hilt of a sword left buried in the elephant's back. You can climb the steps to the top for a view over the curving Li River and the karst peaks ringing Guilin — a spot many people miss because they are busy photographing the trunk down below.
3

The riverside viewpoint near Gate 2

The Water-Moon viewing platform · inside the park

For the classic "whole elephant" shot, walk through the park to the riverside terrace near Gate 2, where you face the trunk arch head-on and get the shape, the arch and its reflection all in one frame. Early morning, with still water and few people, is when the picture comes out best — by mid-morning the water starts to ripple and the tour groups arrive.
4

The evening light show on the rock

After sunset · coloured light projected onto the stone

After dark the riverside hill becomes a giant screen: coloured light and lasers are projected onto the rock face, telling the legend of the elephant and the life of old Guilin, reflected in the water for an effect completely different from the daytime view. You can watch it for free from the riverbanks nearby, or for a closer, fuller look take an evening boat tour that passes in front of the hill (extra cost). Show times shift with the season, so check on the day.
5

The view from across the river — free and just as good

The riverside path · the far bank · a rooftop café

Here is what many people do not realise: you do not have to enter the park to see the elephant well. Walk along the Li River path or stand on the far bank and you get the whole elephant from just the right distance. A few riverside cafés and hotels in town even have rooftops that face the hill — order a single coffee, sit, and watch the elephant change colour as the sun goes down, and you have had your money's worth.

Free to enter, but you must reserve: since 2021 Elephant Trunk Hill has been free — no ticket — but you need to scan a QR code at the entrance with WeChat or Alipay to book a slot first (you can do it right at the gate; it only takes a moment). Separate activities such as a bamboo-raft ride or an evening boat tour cost extra, from around ¥100 (~฿500), and vary by season. See Guilin tours & activities on Klook →

Visitor tips

See the elephant, the lights and the best photo angles

🌅 When to go

Elephant Trunk Hill is beautiful at two times in the same day. If you like calm and want a clean reflection, come early, around 07:00–09:00 — fewer people, still water, soft light, and the best chance of catching the elephant mirrored in the river. If you prefer colour and a bit of buzz, come in the evening, from just before sunset into the night, when coloured lights play across the rock.

An honest heads-up: late morning to afternoon is when tour groups pour in, the riverside photo terrace gets crowded and you queue to shoot. Skip that window if you can. And in the rainy months (May–August) the Li River runs higher and muddier than usual — at times the water rises right up into the trunk arch, so the scene looks different from the dry-season postcard.

📸 Where to photograph the hill

The classic "Guilin postcard" angle is from the riverside terrace near Gate 2 inside the park, facing the trunk arch head-on — you get the shape, the arch and the reflection in a single frame. Come early, when the water is still, for the most symmetrical shot.

The angle many people overlook is from the far bank or the riverside path a little further off — step back and you see the whole elephant with other karst peaks behind it, a wider scene than you get inside the park. For a higher vantage, a few riverside cafés and hotels in town have rooftops aimed straight at the hill, ideal for a coffee while you wait for the elephant to change colour at dusk.

The Li River in Guilin with karst limestone peaks, the river that flows past Elephant Trunk Hill — The Li River flowing past Elephant Trunk Hill — a representative shot of the river and the karst peaks that ring Guilin.

🛶 Pair it with a cruise and other sights

Because Elephant Trunk Hill only takes about an hour and sits in the middle of town on the Li River, most people do not visit it on its own — they pair it with another stop the same day. See the elephant in the morning, then mid-morning carry on with the Li River cruise down to Yangshuo, or stroll Zhengyang pedestrian street.

If you are staying the night, the Two Rivers Four Lakes night cruise around the city — with the gold-and-silver Sun-Moon Pagodas — is a fitting way to close the day at dusk. It is all in the same city, a few minutes apart by taxi or DiDi.

Getting there

How to reachElephant Trunk Hill

Elephant Trunk Hill is in the centre of the city on the Li River at No. 1 Binjiang Road, Xiangshan District. Guilin does not have a metro or subway, so you get around the city by public bus, taxi or the DiDi ride-hailing app — all of them easy and cheap.

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Public bus

Several lines pass nearby

Fares around ¥1–2 · get off at the Elephant Trunk Hill (象山公园) stop and walk into the park

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Taxi / DiDi

A few minutes from the centre

Easiest if you are in a group or going at dawn or after dark

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Walk from the railway station

About 20 minutes

If you are staying near Guilin Railway Station, walk along the river on Binjiang Road

Timing tip: being right in the centre, the hill is easy to make the first stop of your day — arrive early while it is quiet, get the photos you want, then walk along the Li River to Zhengyang pedestrian street or to the city pier for the Li River cruise. Bring your passport and have WeChat or Alipay ready to scan the QR code and reserve your slot at the gate.

Nearby

Pair Elephant Trunk Hillwith more of Guilin

All of these are in Guilin or an easy day out — start with the elephant, then keep going.

Li River Cruise: Guilin → Yangshuo

A ~4–5 hr cruise past karst peaks, including the 20-yuan-note view at Xingping

View →

Two Rivers Four Lakes + Sun-Moon Pagodas

An evening cruise round the lit-up city, with the twin gold-and-silver pagodas on Shan Lake

View →

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Frequently asked

FAQ · Elephant Trunk Hill before you go

How much is the entry fee for Elephant Trunk Hill?

Since 2021 Elephant Trunk Hill Park has been free to enter — there is no longer a ticket (it used to cost around ¥55–70 per person). You do need to reserve a slot by scanning a QR code at the entrance with WeChat or Alipay, or by booking online beforehand. Separate activities such as a bamboo-raft ride or an evening boat tour cost extra, from roughly ¥100 (~฿500), with prices varying by season. See Guilin activities on Klook

When is the best time to visit Elephant Trunk Hill?

Early morning, around 07:00–09:00, is best for photos — fewer people, soft light and a still river that mirrors the elephant. The evening, from just before sunset into the night, is beautiful in a different way, because coloured lights are projected onto the rock face after dark. For the classic full-elephant shot, stand at the riverside viewing platform inside the park near Gate 2, or walk along the Li River path to view it from a distance.

What are Elephant Trunk Hill's opening hours?

The park is open roughly 07:00–21:30 daily, with last entry around 21:00. From April to November it may open earlier, around 06:30, while from December to March it opens around 07:00. Times can shift slightly with the season and with evening events, so it is worth checking before you go. A walk around the hill takes about an hour.

How do you get to Elephant Trunk Hill — does Guilin have a metro?

Guilin does not have a metro or subway. You get around the city by public bus, taxi or the DiDi ride-hailing app. Elephant Trunk Hill is in the centre of the city on the Li River at No. 1 Binjiang Road. If you are staying near Guilin Railway Station you can walk along the river in about 20 minutes, or take one of the many buses that pass nearby (fares around ¥1–2). A taxi or DiDi from the city centre takes just a few minutes.

What is the Water-Moon Cave (水月洞) and why see it?

The Water-Moon Cave is a semicircular arch about 12 metres high cut clean through the foot of the hill, right in the gap between the elephant's trunk and its legs — the feature that makes the hill look like an elephant drinking. The name "Water-Moon" comes from full-moon nights, when the moon's reflection appears through the arch on the water, so a moon seems to float both in the sky and in the river. The cave walls are also carved with more than 50 poems and inscriptions from the Tang and Song dynasties.

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