Diecai Hill

Chinese name: 叠彩山（Die Cai Shan）
Location: 2# Longzhu Road, Guilin City, Guangxi.
Ticket: Entrance ticket CNY25.00
Estimated time of tour: 1-2 hours
Recommended time of visit: Apr to Nov.
Nearby attractions: Li River, Elephant Trunk Hill,Fubo Hill, Solitary Beauty Peak.

City of Guilin is not in short supply of famous attractions. Diecai Hill is one of them that attract visitors from home and abroad. It is a national AAAAA scenic are and recommended by World Tourism organization as Best Destination. It is a crucial component of famous Two Rivers and Four Lakes, Elephant Hill Scenic Area of Guilin. It sits by the side of beautiful Li River on northeast corner of Guilin city. It stands opposite of Duxiufeng Hill and Fubo Hill. Diecai in Chinese means folded brocade or piled silk.  It covers an area of approximately 2 sq km, and consists of Yueshan Hill, Crane Peak and Bright Moon Peak. It is a hill of many names and stories. It is known as Folded Brocade Hill because of the many rock formations piled up layer upon layer. Legend says that there used to be many osmanthus trees on the hill, so it is sometimes called Osmanthus Hill (Guishan). The fame and popularity of Diecai Hill dates back to Tang Dynasty in 9th century. For over one thousand years, celebrities and dignitaries had visited this site and some left poems or articles praising its beauty.

Like many hills in Guilin City, Diecai hill is a product of karst geologic development. It is not a large and tall hill. Its peak, Xianhefeng, is 253 meter in elevation and 100 meters higher then the city of Guilin, which makes it a friendly place for tourists. Sits between Mingyue peak and Yueshan valley, is a building named Diecai Qionglou. Now it serves as a butterfly museum. It is a museum with decent quantities of collections. More than 300 species and 2000 items are on displayed whole year, some of the specimen is precious and rare national protected ones.

On peak of this hill is a pavilion named Yuyue Pavilion. It first appeared in Tang Dynasty. The one we see today was rebuilt in 1954. This 4.5 meter tall and 5 meter wide pavilion provides a vantage point for a panoramic view of Guilin city. It is also a nice place for visitors to take a rest after hiking.

On the east side of the hill, there is a Tibetan styled pagoda with history dating back to Tang Dynasty. This Mulong Pagoda is now a protected building of Guilin City and provides significant value on researching the pagodas in ancient China.