Reed Flute Cave
Karst Show Cave In The Guilin Karst Landscape · Guilin, Guangxi
A karst cave in the green hills on the northwestern edge of Guilin, filled with stalactites, stalagmites, stone curtains and columns lit in vivid coloured lights that turn the chambers into an underground fantasy landscape. It takes its name from the reeds growing at its mouth, once cut to make flutes. Inside, more than seventy ink inscriptions left on the walls by visitors since the Tang dynasty, the oldest from 792, show that the cave has drawn sightseers for over 1,200 years. It was later forgotten and rediscovered in the 1940s, when local people sheltered here from Japanese bombing raids, and it opened to visitors in 1962. A loop of about 500 metres winds past formations nicknamed the Virgin Forest, the Flower and Fruit Mountain and the Dome Mountain to the Crystal Palace of the Dragon King, a vast chamber where a still pool mirrors the lit rock above. It remains one of the city's most popular sights, easily combined with a Li River cruise.
Ludi Road, Xiufeng District, Guilin, Guangxi, China
Daily, about 7:30-18:00 April-October and 8:00-17:30 November-March. Group tours depart throughout the day.