Tour at Seven Star Park
The Camel Hill
Seven Star Park
A Tiger in Seven Star Park
Guilin Seven Star Park
Located on the east bank of the Li River, the Seven Star Park is the largest comprehensive park in Guilin with many types of scenery concentrated. Its name is derived from the seven peaks, which are arrayed like the Big Dipper Constellation. The park is characterized by the splendid mountains, clear water, queer stones, deep valleys, abundant animals and plants etc. In this 120-hectared park, you can enjoy Flower Bridge, Putuo Mountain, Seven Star Cave, Crescent Hill, Camel Hill, Guihai Stele Forest and Light of China Square.
As the oldest bridge in Guilin, Flower Bridge was initially built in Song Dynasty (960 - 1276). It is right in the front of the park stretching across the infall of Xiaodong River and Lingjian Brook. This 135-meter (147.6 yards) long bridge is full of national features. Every spring and summer, the bridge is surrounded and decorated by blooming flowers like the peach blossom, green bamboo on both sides and babbling water, which is how the name is derived. The present bridge was rebuilt on the basis of the four-holed bridge made up of green stone in 1965. The four semicircular bridge openings together with the reflections in the water form four jade plates.
Putuo Mountain, where Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva is worshiped, is the main body of Seven Star Park. It is composed of Tianshu Peak, Tianxuan Peak, Tianji Peak and Tianquan Peak northwest of Seven Star Park. Putuo Mountain is abundant with grottoes, and pavilions, in which the Seven Star Cave is the most famous. In the west of the foot of the mountain lies Yuanfeng Cave. Though it is scorchingly hot in summer, you can feel the air of coolness here. A few distances away can you see the gate to the mountain. Many cultural relics can be found here. As far as the stone inscriptions are concerned, the number is in excess of 200. What values most is the Xiaoyaolou of Yan Zhenqing in the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907), the relief of the syncretism of Turtle and Snake in Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644) , Bixuming of Fan Chengda in the Song Dynasty.
Seven Star Cave, also named as Qixia Cave and Bixu Cave, is located at the west mountainside of Putuo Mountain. Dissolution of limestone by the rain water in the long course helps create much crystal which results in the formation of diversified stalagmite, stalactite, stone flowers, stone curtains, stone pillars etc. Thanks to the splendid view, it is honored as the 'Cave of the God'. Seven Star Cave is three-storeyed with the middle storey open to visitors only. The temperature constantly maintains about 20 degrees Centigrade. It has been a place of interest since Sui (581 - 618) and Tang Dynasties. Plenty of poems and inscriptions are left here.
Crescent Hill is south of Putuo Mountain made up of seven peaks south of Seven Star Hill. It got its name because there is a rock that looks like the crescent. Vegetarian food here has a history of more than 100 years. Walking towards southwest along the path and you can reach Banyue Pavilion where you can enjoy the wonderful reflections of the Flower Bridge in the clear water full of poetry.
Walking forward for a short while and you will reach Crescent Cave and Jinjiang Pavilion. Longyin Cave can be entered if you walk south. Together with Longyin Rock, they belong to Guihai Stele Forest. In totality, the stone carvings amounts to about 220 with its contents related to economy, military, culture, folk custom. The forms vary from poems, lyrics, couplets, images, odes to articles. All of these precious relics are endowed with high value in arts and history.
In the back of Putuo Mountain is the Camel Hill, which appears like a crouching camel. It is the legend that a personage took here as the retreat. When spring falls, the peach blossoms he grew were in full blossom. It was decorated so beautifully that the hill seems to be covered by red glows. It is considered as one of the top ten landscapes in Guilin.
In the middle of Putuo Mountain and Crescent Hill lies the Light of China Square with an area of 13,520 square meters (16,170 square yards). Two pieces of artworks are exhibited here. One is the stone carving murals consisting of more than 100 stone carvings with the total length of 106 meters (116 yards) and the height of five meters (16 feet). It is the product combined the four inventions and high technologies. The other is the Shi Ji Bao Ding standing on the pedestal of the round granite. It bears the symbolic meaning of flourishing nation and peaceful living people.
Tickets:
CNY 60 for the park;
CNY 35 for Seven Star Cave;
CNY 90 for Through Ticket of Seven Star Park;
(kids under 1.4 m are free of charge)
Opening Hours: 09:00 - 17:30
Bus Routes: Take Bus no. 9, 10, 11, 14, 18, 24, 28, 30, 31, 52, 58, 204 or 206 and get off at the Seven Star Park stop.
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