Towering over the west bank of Li River, Diecai Hill lies in the northern part of Guilin city in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southwest China. Because of the resemblance of its rock formations, piled up layer upon layer on each other, to folded brocade, it is known as Folded Brocade Hill.
Why Folded Brocade Hill is special
Folded Brocade Hill is renowned for its amazing scenery, stone carvings and bird aviary. The stone carvings of Folded Brocade Hill feature different kinds of handwriting styles, with its contents covering a wide range of themes from education, Buddhism, politics to painting arts. These stone carvings are vividly described as “the encyclopedia of the local culture in Guilin.”
Folded Brocade Hill Highlights
Wind Cave
Wind Cave runs from north to south halfway up the hill. A cool breeze blows here it in all seasons. It features 90 Buddha images of the Tang and Song dynasties, as well as dozens of ancient stone carvings. What makes it famous is the changing temperature of its winds. Whatever the weather is outside, a cool breeze is always blowing in the Wind Cave. For this reason it is known as the “Cool World” by local people.
Bright Moon Peak
Standing in the “Cloud-catching Pavilion” on the Bright Moon Peak, you can get a magnificent view of the Li River and the downtown of Guilin. The railings on the peak are covered with brass locks. Each lock has an inscription on it. It is believed that if you buy a lock, have it engraved, lock it onto the railing and throw the key down that your good luck will last as long as the hill. Lovers and couples prefer it to pray for eternal love. Obviously many people believe it because there were thousands of locks there.
Bird Aviary
There is an aviary inside Folded Brocade Hill. It is filled with full grown trees and has a pond and a building which houses a stone museum. It is big, filled with many indigenous birds. The birds are not afraid of people, and if you buy a little cup of ground corn they practically attack you.
Stylish Pavilions
The other ranges of Folded Brocade Hill connected to Bright Moon Peak are all very attractive, and notable for their unique pavilions, eminent stones and cliff carvings, Buddhist sculptures and abundance of evergreen trees. Places such as Yuyue Pavilion, Huanbi Garden (Trees’ Garden) and Wood Dragon Cave are all well worth a visit.