The Reed Flute Scenic Area (芦笛景区) is a renowned scenic spot mainly focused on exploring caves, with supplementary attractions featuring picturesque mountain and rural landscapes. The area boasts unique karst topography created by nature, including Guilin’s highest limestone peak – Hou Mountain – and the most beautiful cave – Reed Flute Cave. The scenic spot also features water landscapes such as Taohua River and Fanglian Pool, offering a combination of elegance and natural charm.
Travel Information abotu Reed Flute Scenic Area
Ticket and Opening Hours
Ticket Price: 82 RMB.
Opening Hours: 14:00 – 18:00.
How to Get There
Location: 1 Ludi Road, Guilin City.
Transportation: Take Bus No. 3 from the city center.
Scenic Area Rating
- Beauty: ★★★★
- Leisure: ★★★★
- Cultural: ★★★★
- Unique: ★★★
- Romantic: ★★
- Exciting: ★
Highlights of Reed Flute Scenic Area
Feiluan Bridge
Upon entering the Reed Flute Scenic Area, the first sight is a dignified and ancient stone bridge known as Feiluan Bridge. Also referred to as Feilong Bridge, it is located at the intersection of the Peach Blossom River and Ludi Road. Feiluan Bridge was first built during the Song Dynasty and was rebuilt in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The current structure, constructed in 1967, is known as the “Worker and Farmer Bridge.” Feiluan Bridge is 62.4 meters long and 10.5 meters wide, with its arch made of dark limestone, giving it a solid and dignified appearance.
Legend of Feiluan Bridge
Long ago, there was a village called Xiaojia Village by the Peach Blossom River, where a dam served as a crossing point. Every spring, the dam would be submerged by the rising tides, making it impossible for villagers to cross the river. The villagers decided to build a bridge. On the day of the groundbreaking, they first killed a chicken to offer a sacrifice to the craftsman Lu Ban and then used the chicken’s blood to lay the foundation.
Just as they were halfway through the ritual, a rooster suddenly flew north, its neck dripping with blood. It flew and flew, and soon its feathers transformed into beautiful, colorful plumage that shimmered in the light, while its tail grew longer and longer. After flying about a mile, it finally landed, and the villagers found it by the riverbank. The rooster had transformed into a stunning phoenix. Everyone was astonished, and an old stonemason exclaimed, “Could this phoenix be sent by Lu Ban? The bridge’s foundation must be laid here!”
At that moment, the phoenix flapped its wings and flew southward. The stonemason then built the bridge where the phoenix had landed. Once completed, the bridge was named Feiluan Bridge.
Reed Flute Cave
Reed Flute Cave is a very famous karst cave attraction in Guilin. Inside the cave, an array of stalactites, stalagmites, stone columns, stone curtains, and stone flowers take on anthropomorphic forms, creating more than thirty wonderful scenes. Highlights include the “Dome Mosquito Net,” “High Gorge Waterfall,” “Dragon Tower,” “Primeval Forest,” “Cloud Mountains Beyond the Curtain,” and “Crystal Palace.” These attractions interconnect seamlessly, allowing visitors to experience a changing landscape with every step, akin to moving through a magnificent underground palace crafted from gems, corals, and jade.
The stalactites in Reed Flute Cave exhibit various shapes, resembling lively scenes like “Lion Ridge Morning Glow,” which celebrates purity; “Pine Trees Standing Tall in Snow,” symbolizing nobility; the vast “Primeval Forest”; the dreamlike “Crystal Palace”; the tranquil “Quiet Realm Listening to Flutes”; and objects resembling snowmen, melons, carp, and sea conchs.
These uniquely shaped stalactites are formed by the action of underground water that dissolves calcium carbonate in the rock, followed by millions of years of sedimentation and crystallization. All these landscapes are masterpieces of nature’s craftsmanship, without any artificial embellishments. As a result, Reed Flute Cave is hailed as the “Palace of Nature’s Art.”
What to Do:
- 4D Visual Show: The Reed Flute Scenic Area utilizes the naturally wide and relatively flat dome ceiling of the Crystal Palace to project videos onto it. This creates an illusion of a cave opening in the ceiling, where visitors can enjoy a dreamlike display of geological changes, including scenes from the Ice Age, tectonic movements, the revival of life, and the growth process of stalactites.
- “Reed Flute · Heavenly Sound” Light Show: Reed Flute Cave has introduced the enchanting and colorful “Reed Flute · Heavenly Sound” light show through modern technological methods. This dynamic light show combines various sensory effects, including visual, auditory, olfactory, and tactile experiences, beautifully showcasing the splendor of Reed Flute Cave.
- Wall Calligraphy Culture: Inside Reed Flute Cave, there are numerous calligraphic inscriptions left by ancient scholars, known as “wall calligraphy.” These inscriptions date back to the Tang Dynasty and hold significant historical and cultural value.
Fanglian Pool
Fanglian Pool is located at the foot of Guangming Mountain within the scenic area and is an artificial lake. The banks of Fanglian Pool are lined with willow trees, peach trees, ginkgo trees, banyan trees, water cypress trees, osmanthus trees, and banana trees, creating a series of small garden landscapes that interweave beautifully. Along the embankment, one can find willows every five steps and peach trees every three steps, embodying the charm of a Jiangnan water town. This scenic area complements the natural and garden landscapes around the entrance of Reed Flute Cave, creating a harmonious and picturesque setting that adds unique charm to the experience.
Taohua River (Peach Blossom River)
Originally known as Yang River, Taohua River is a major tributary of the Li River. It is tranquil and serene, with a winding course often referred to as “the nine twists and eighteen bends.” Each bend presents a unique view, creating picturesque landscapes as the river curves. Taohua River flows like a green ribbon through the karst basin of northern Guilin, meandering from Feiluan Bridge to Shengli Bridge. The water is calm and clear, reflecting the surrounding peaks like a mirror, resulting in stunning scenery. The river is particularly beautiful during autumn moonlit nights, showcasing the enchanting view known as “Yang River Autumn Moon,” which is one of the distinctive sights among the Eight Scenic Spots of Ancient Guilin. It’s no wonder that Taohua River is praised with the saying: “Not like the Li River, but better than the Li River.”
Hou Mountain
Located to the west of Guilin, Hou Mountain rises approximately 581 meters above sea level, with a relative height of 431 meters, making it the highest limestone peak within the city. While Yaoshan, situated to the northeast of Guilin, is the tallest overall peak in the surrounding area, Hou Mountain ranks second in height. Unlike Yaoshan, which is a loess mountain, Hou Mountain is characterized by its limestone formation, earning the local saying, “Not as large as Yaoshan, but higher than Hou Mountain.”
The flora on Hou Mountain is diverse, with golden bamboo and fan palms standing out prominently. The mountain features steep terrain, with winding paths leading to its summit, where Turtle Rock can be found halfway up the trail. Atop the mountain, there is a small spring known as “Hou Spring,” also referred to as “Guanyin Spring.” From the summit, visitors can enjoy breathtaking panoramic views of the stunning landscapes of Guilin.