Life Is Like That

Do you like elephants? I neither like nor dislike these largest land mammals on earth, but I definitely would not want to keep one as pet! But you better believe it, Foong, my friend and I had gone all the way to Guilin (桂林), China to see an elephant, is a rock elephant actually in the name of Elephant Trunk Hill (象鼻山).

Elephant Trunk Hill is a limestone karsts formation of 3.6 hundred million years old. It is located on the western bank of Li River (漓江) at the confluence of the Li River and Peach Blossom River (桃花江). Over the years, Elephant Trunk Hill has become Guilin’s most recognizable symbol. As the name suggests, the shape of the hill looks like an elephant extending its trunk into the Li River from afar. There is a legend about the 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. You got to be a 6-year-old to believe in this, but it is just a legend after all!

On this overcast afternoon during our first day in Guilin, we decided to pay a visit to the Elephant Trunk Hill as in my planned itinerary. We would walk along the Binjiang Road (滨江路) for around 15 minutes to get to the Elephant Trunk Hill. The road is just a stroll away from our accommodation, the infamous Guilin Backstreet International Youth Hostel (桂林后街国际青年旅舍). Binjiang Road borders the famous Li River and it could be a relaxing walk on this not so hot afternoon. Various sources on the web state the entrance fee to the park per person is 31 Chinese Yuan.

Scenery of Li River along the Binjiang Road

To the Elephant Trunk Hill we set off. We were approached by a middle aged lady to tour the Elephant Trunk Hill on her bamboo raft as soon as we got to Binjiang Road. Probably seeing us each carrying a camera, she said the best way to snap the whole picture of the Elephant Trunk Hill is to take a bamboo ride. To which I immediately agreed, as how could one see the whole picture of an elephant if you are riding on its back! Initially she quoted 50 Chinese Yuan for 3 of us, but I managed to haggle down to 40 Chinese Yuan, that is around 13 Chinese Yuan per person!

Went for bamboo raft trip!

We were soon been led to a bamboo raft operated by her family. It is a big bamboo raft with covered top. There were quite a few already on the raft but just no one occupied the front row. Foong and I thus quickly sat on the front row. We were so kiasu being a typical Malaysians, to which we regretted just a moment later! This is a motorized bamboo raft, unlike those in the Yulong River (遇龙河) which need a rafter to steer the raft. Li River is also not as calm as Yulong River. As the bamboo raft moving forward, water started to splash on us! No wonder everyone chose to sit at the back!

Motorized bamboo raft

It is bigger and can accommodate more person!

Or you can have the whole raft for yourself!

We could now see the Elephant Trunk Hill in distant. Can you see a pagoda on top of the hill? This is the 2-storey Puxian Pagoda (普贤宝塔) built in the Ming Dynasty (明朝). Believe it or not, the pagoda does look very much like the handle of a sword stabbed into the back of elephant from afar! We also passed by a bridge where local folks play with water under the bridge.

See Elephant Trunk Hill not too far away?

See the handle of a sword on top?

Approaching a bridge

Local folks playing with water under the bridge

Our bamboo raft made a return trip after the bridge. Just as we wondered whether the trip is over, the raft docked at the river bank directly opposite the Elephant Trunk Hill. We were asked to get down. It was at here that I managed to get all those closed up shots on the Elephant Trunk Hill. The semi round cave in between the trunk and the legs is called the Water Moon Cave (水月洞). The Water Moon Cave is so called because on a moonlight night, it looks like a full moon floating on the surface of the water due to the reflection of the cave in water. We should have also made a night trip to the Elephant Trunk Hill to catch this beautiful scenery, but we did not!

Made a return trip

Elephant Trunk Hill

Elephant Trunk Hill

See the Water Moon Cave? (click for wallpaper size)

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