Situated on the eastern side of the Li River, Seven Star Park is the biggest (with an area of 134 hectares) with the best natural environment in Guilin. It includes sites as Follower Bridge, Camel Hill, Seven Star Cave and others.
The elegantly constructed Flowers Bridge is the main gateway to the park. It was first built in the Song Dynasty and renovated in the Ming Dynasty. It’s said that in the ancient time the bridge was well surrounded by wild flaming flowers in spring, thus the name of the bridge. Unfortunately, the number of flowers reduced greatly during the Qing Dynasty and now visitors can’t find any.
What to See
Seven star park named after the deep mountain, it bring the Camel Peak, Putuo Mountain, Seven Star Cave, Crescent Hill and Guilin Forest of Steles, etc., is a must visit place for tourist. The main tourist attractions in the park are:
【Seven Star Cave】
The Seven Star Cave is a fantastic karst cave with a large number of stalagmites and stalactites, which decorate the cave into an eye-dazzling beautiful place. Seven-Star Cave is an extensive limestone cave complex in Seven-Star Park, both of which are popular tourist attractions in the city of Guilin. The park and cave’s name derive from the fact the main karst limestone peaks roughly resemble the stars of the Big Dipper constellation. The earliest exploration of Seven-Star Cave dates back to the Tang Dynasty, about 1,300 years ago.
The cave has a year-round temperature of about 20 Celsius. The maximum ceiling height inside is 27 meters, and the maximum width is 49 meters. A concrete and stone tour path of approximately 1,000 meters runs through the cave between its entrance and exit points. Artificial lighting for walkways and displays is staged throughout, including colored accents, and various formations have names such as “A Natural Fresco” and “The Chessboard”. During the Japanese invasion of China in World War II, Guilin residents took refuge in the cave complex.
【Seven-Star Mountain】
It is located in Li River east bank, 1.5 km from the city centre, consist of Tianshu, Tianxuan, Tianji, Tianquan 4 peaks of Putuo Hill and Yuheng, Kaiyang and Yaoguan 3 peaks, and its elevation of 265, 255, 248, 245, 255, 241, and 255 meters that nearly seven mountains are almost on a level.
【Putuo Hill】
Putuo Hill is the main body of the Seven-Star Park, consist of 4 peaks of Tianshu, Tianxuan, Tianji and Tianquan in the northwest of Seven Star Mountain. It is 265 meters above sea level, because of there consecrate the Goddess of Mercy (Avalokitesvara) in the mountain, colloquially called as Putuo Hill. Putuo Hill landscape has rich scenes, where there are many caves and pavilions. Seven Star Cave is the most famous and for pavilions, Qixia pavilion, Bixu pavilion are especially unique. In the west foot of mountain, there is Yuanfeng Cave when it is extreme heated, there is cool wind blow gently. Going from here along the avenue of osmanthus fragrans to north is near the Putuo Gate where can climb the hill from the gate. In the mountain there is Putuo Stone Forest, Putuo Buildings, Guanyin Cave and Xuanwu Pavilion, etc.
Putuo Mountain has many cultural relics, and has more than 200 pieces of stone carvings. Among them, the most precious is Yanzhenqing’s Xiaoyao Tower of the tang dynasty, Song dynasty Fanchengda’s work.
【Camel Mountain】
Camel Mountain (Hump Mountain) is located behind Putuo Mountain, its shape is like a camel squatting on the ground. And because it looks like an ancient wine pot, so people also called it as Pot Mountain. A famous person of regions south of the Yangtze River lived in seclusion in Guilin of late Ming dynasty; he plated all kinds of peach blossom. Every spring, peach blossom flourished, the flowers were like red glow as if to cover Camel Mountain with rosy clouds. The scenery is very beautiful, the ancients called it “hump red glow landscape”, it is one of the top ten sceneries in Guilin. Whenever the dawn or dusk, sunlight reflected the rocks, make it colorful and lovely luster, very spectacular.
【Guilin Forest of Steles】
Nearby Longyin Cave and Longyin Rock, there are many steles inside; therefore it was called Guilin Forest of Steles. The forest of steles are a total of over 220 pieces of carved stone, and the content involved economic, military, culture, folk customs and has a variety of forms like some poems, articles, songs, couplet, image, etc., which has a very high historical value and the calligraphy art appreciation value.
Travel Guide of Seven Star Park
【Recommending Visiting Time】 1-2 hours
【How to Get to Seven Star Park】
1. Taking bus No.10, 11, 14, 18, 25, 30 and 31 to Flower Bridge Gate of the scenic spot
2. Taking bus No.14, 25, 28, 30, and 31 to Camel Mountain Gate of the scenic spot
3. Taking bus No.10 and 24 to Xixia Gate of the scenic spot
4. Taking bus No.14, 25, 28, 30, and 31 to Longyin Gate of the scenic spot
【Travel Tips】
The best travel time: it is suitable to travel in four seasons but the best time is from April to October. Guilin is located in the low latitude, and belongs to the subtropical humid monsoon climate. Overall, Guilin has mild climate, four distinctive seasons, climate condition is very superior.
Tips:
1. Due to the scenic spot is clammy and humid in spring, cool in summer, cool and moist in autumn and dry in winter, tourists need to prepare suitable clothes depending on the different season, in case of catch a cold.
2. Pay attention to the mountain spring water is cold, if you want to dabble in water, warm up first then can take a bath use mountain spring, so that can be prevent ill cause by cold water.
3. Wearing clothes that are casual for convenient. The lady has better not to wear short skirt to prevent mosquito bites.