Elephant Trunk Hill (Xiangbishan) is the symbol of Guilin . The elephant is not a hill at all, but rather a rock formation that looks like an elephant sucking water through its trunk and located at the tip of a 180 hill. It is located inside a park and reached by walking up and down some steep steps, or a one-minute bamboo raft ride. The rock formation is 356' in length and 330' in width. The opening between the trunk and body is round and named "Moon-over-Water Cave," although you can walk right through this "cave." On the walls there are some 70 inscriptions, poetically describing the beauty. Halfway up is a smaller opening that represents the eyes.

The theme of elephants carries throughout the park. Stone sculptures of elephants and hedges trimmed like elephants dotted the path. The concrete walkway that extends along the lake and across to some islands had tiled elephants on them. Even the stone railings had elephant heads carved into them.

Arched bridges lead to islands that have whimsical scenes with wind catchers and statues of people playing. Weeping willows and trees with tiny blossoms grace the waters edge. The water from the river gently laps at the shore, and lotus blossoms float along the water.

The park is open from 8:30am to 4:30pm, and the entrance is 25Y. A leisurely stroll around all the sights will take 2 hours. The park is a few blocks off Zhongshan Lu, and extends to Li River . Tourist bus number 2 makes a stop here.

With the exception of climbing elephant rock, a lot of the park is wheelchair accessible with smooth tiled walkways around the lake, over the arched bridges and onto the small islands.