Elephant Trunk Hill, Guilin, China

In order to get this view of Elephant Trunk Hill you have to enter a park that is very beautiful, and unlike many of the more gorgeous views in China, it is not ridiculously crowded.

Elephant Trunk Hill is known as the symbol of the city of Guilin. It got its name because it looks like an elephant drinking water. The round opening that would be under the elephant’s trunk is known as Water-Moon Cave because at night the reflection of the moon can be seen through the arch and it looks as if it is under the water and floating on the surface of the water at the same time.

A legend tells that an elephant belonged to the Emperor of Heaven.  The Emperor of Heaven decided to conquer earth, and he did so from the back of a giant elephant. But the dedicated elephant came down to earth to help the people in their work and later worked himself sick. This angered the Emperor of Heaven, so the Emperor of Heaven deserted him, and the local farmers nursed the sickly elephant back to health. The elephant being extremely grateful and decided to desert the emperor and stay on earth to help the farmers plow their fields during a time of drought. The Emperor of Heaven was so angry that his elephant had deserted him he thrust his sword into the elephants back while it was drinking at the river's edge and turned it to stone.