Guilin Two Rivers & Four Lakes • Elephant Trunk Hill Scenic Area is located in the downtown of Guilin, which is known as a world-famous international tourist city, a famous historical and cultural city in China, and an outstanding tourist city in China, with a total area of approximately 3.1 square kilometers. It is an important part of Guilin city tour. It is also the most representative traditional landmark of Guilin as “three hills, two caves and one river" and it is also listed in the world natural heritage. Besides, Elephant Trunk Hill is also an important part of the karst landform in southern China and is a representative of the world-renowned ecological garden of modern urban landscape. It is a model of urban water system renovation projects in China.
The scenic spot has the world-famous landscapes, a large number of cliffs and stone carvings, well-preserved landscape urban patterns and historical & cultural relics, as well as Guilin traditional folk-art performances, etc. Bringing together the landscapes, historical and cultural essences of Guilin, with extremely tourist resources, it is really worth a visit.
In 2005, it was selected as the first natural miracle of China's five most beautiful peak forests by "China National Geographic"; In 2013 and 2014, it was awarded the title of " Most Beautiful Moon Viewing Land in China" on the internet selection by CCTV News Channel; In 2017, it won the "China Leisure and Holiday 5U Award", "2017 Most Popular Humanities Scenic Spot in South China ", "2017 China Most Popular Scenic Spot ", "2017 CCTV Spring Festival Gala Best Support Award", and "Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Enterprise with Good Integrity”. In February of 2017, it was listed as the national 5A scenic area; In 2018, it was named as the cultural industry demonstration base in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, nominated the fifth Guilin Mayor Quality Award, the most popular scenic spot (including performance), New Era • best night leisure attraction in China. In 2019, it registered the certificate of safety production and standardization construction (Level II), the district model home for staff. In 2020, it won the brand story excellence award in Guilin, Guilin Top 10 night cultural attraction, Guangxi Top 10 night tour attraction, etc.
Fubo Hill is known as the epitome of Guilin's landscape. It integrates hills, waters, caves, and rocks. Folded Brocade Hill has the highest peak in the downtown of Guilin and is known as the "River Meets Hill Scenic Spot". The scenic spot has profound historical accumulation and cultural connotation. The Southern Song Dynasty cliff stone carving "Jingjiang Mansion City Defense Map" on Parrot Hill is the most complete and largest inscription in the world; Baoji Mountain has a 30,000-year-old ancient human relic since the late Paleolithic age-Baojiyan. There are a large number of remains of Song Dynasty in the scenic spot, such as Dongzhen Gate and the existing ancient post road city wall. Mulong Lake scenic area has some historical relics such as Li Jishen’s former residence and the Eighth Route Army former office. The ancient south gate tower in Ronghu scenic area is a key cultural relic under Guilin municipal protection, built by the famous general Li Jing in the fourth year of Wude (621) in Tang Dynasty, with a long history of 1300 years. There a place near the ancient south gate, where the famous poet of Song Dynasty Huang Tingjian docked his boat. Bai Chongxi’s former residence is also at the bank of Ronghu Lake, which contains a large collection of antique furniture during the Republic of China. Li Zongren’ former residence at the bank of Shanhu Lake is a national key cultural relics under protection; A stupa built in Tang Dynasty is located at Wenchang Bridge Pier, with more than 10 clay pots for holding relics during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and the full text of the ink book "Diamond Sutra" on the inner wall; Fubo Hill has existing cliff carvings of 112 pieces, in which the highest artistic value is the self-portrait and autograph by the great calligrapher Mi Fu of the Song Dynasty. The exquisite stone carvings can be seen everywhere in the wind tunnel of Folded Brocade Hill. On the upper right of the wind tunnel. Marshal Chen Yi also carved "愿作桂林人,不愿作神仙"on the wind tunnel, which means “will to be a native of Guilin, but not an immortal.
There are also rich cultural landscapes in the scenic area. The Sun and Moon Twin Pagodas in the Shanhu Scenic Area were rebuilt in 2001 on the basis of the pagodas of Tang Dynasty. They are now the cultural landmarks of Guilin. The Sun Pagoda (golden pagoda) has created three tops of the world: The tallest copper pagoda, the world's tallest water elevator pagoda, and the world's tallest copper building. The World-famous Bridge Expo Park is also in the scenic area, including 14 bridges with various characteristics. The Two Rivers and Four Lakes Scenic Area also has high-tech cruise ship passing facilities, such as the Mulong Lake ship lift, the Spring Lake ship lock, and the Elephant Trunk Hill ship lift. With these high-tech facilities, the Ronghu Lake, Shanhu Lake, Guihu Lake, and Mulong Lakes are integrated with the Li River and Taohuajiang River, solving the problem of 2-meters water level difference between the four inner lakes and the two rivers.
There are featured performances in the scenic area, including the Mulong Lake Light and Shadow Show based on the ancient wall ruins of Guilin, blending of the local intangible cultural heritage-the legendary love story of Liu Sanjie and Aniu, the Li River fishermen cormorant fishing --- a traditional fishing way passed down for thousands of years, as well as Dressing and Making-up at Lotus Pond, displaying the Yao’s Culture. In addition, the Guihu Lake Fishing Fire Show is the original ecological cormorant fishing show with the largest lineup, with the most spectacular scene and the most traditional performance techniques.
Look at The Two Rivers &Four Lakes• Elephant Trunk Hill Scenic Area, you will completely understand what is the scenery of "being surrounded by hills, and embraced by a river" and how harmonious landscape of "city in the scene, scene in the city". As a classic tour route in the downtown of Guilin, you can enjoy the Elephant Trunk Hill, Fubo Hill, Folded Brocade Hill and many beautiful hills by a boat trip. Guilin’s profound history and culture, beautiful hills and waters, as well as the good ecological environment are fully displayed in a trip at the Two Rivers & Four Lakes Scenic Area.
