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Located 5 kilometers
northwest of Guilin
city, the Reed Flute
Cave is in fact a cave
on the southern shoulder
of the Guangming Hill
(Bright Hill). Got its
name by the reeds used
for making flutes and
pipes growing at its
entrance, the cave is
regarded as the largest
and most impressive cave
in Guilin city.
The cave is 240 meters
long, whereas the
touring distance is
about 550 meters, mainly
offering a magic
fairyland of
stalactites,
stalagmites, stone
pillars, stone curtains,
birds, plants and
animals in fantastic
shapes and colors.
One grotto, which called
the Crystal Palace of
the Dragon King, can
hold about 1000 people.
During the war, the
grotto once served as an
air-raid shelter. Over
70 wall inscriptions
from the Tang dynasty
(618-907) were found in
the walls, suggesting
that the cave once been
traveled by people in
every dynasty. The
highlight in this cave
is a great slab of white
rock hanging from a
ledge like a cataract,
with a human-shaped
stalactite on its
opposite.
It was said that a
visiting scholar tried
to write a poem
depicting the beauty of
the cave. It cost him so
much time to find the
right words that he
finally turned to stone.
Another story goes that
the slab originally was
the Dragon King’s
needle. The Monkey King
used it as a weapon to
defeat the dragon’s army
and finally left it in
the cave.
The cave was opened to
public in 1962. Famed as
the Palace of Natural
Art, the cave is now
equipped with artificial
lighting system to
emphasize visiting
effect. |
