Attractions
Mural Hill
Jan.-Dec.
7:00-20:00
CNY 16 Low Season
Jan.-Dec.
7:00-20:00
CNY 16 Adress & Phone Xingping Village, Yangshuo. Transportation Take a Li River cruise and you will see it along the river. No need to pay for the ticket if you take a raft to Mural Hill. Notes
Mural Hill is short for Nine Horse Mural Hill, known as one of the hot scenic sites along Li River. It is an extremely skillful masterpiece by nature which has been refered in many poemsfor its abrupt rise above the water and horse-shaped cliffs.
Located in the northwest of Xingping Village where is noteworthy for its exquisite Ming Dynasty architecture and centuries-old wood carvings, Mural Hill is about 61 kilometers from Guilin. Standing 536.3 meters (333 miles) high, it is composed of a group of cliffs with images of what appears to be nine horses in various poses. On the east bank of Li River, it is blazoned with yellow, white, black, gray and green. Corresponding with the pure water, it appears like a painting.
The meditation of Mural Hill
On the cliff which is hundred meters high, it shows a mottled picture which needs your fertile imagination. The wall illustrates a vivid Nine Horses that behave variously. Some of them are jumping, some are hunting for food, and some are lying on side. How many horses are there on the wall? No one can be sure for it is not easy to identify all of the nine horses, and most people can only recognize three or four images as horses. The forty-second president of the United States had been here with his family, trying to count the number of the horses after hearing the folk ballad that the one who can identify all nine horses will be Number One Scholar. Though he only figured out 8 horses, it was a wonderful journey for him.
The legend of Mural Hill
There are many versions of legend about the Mural Hill. The local people would like tell their kids that the image on Mural Hill is a punishment to the nine horses that angered the Jade Emperor. In fact these horses were governed in heaven by Bi Mawen, also named Sun Wukong (Monkey King). One day, Su Wukong went back to his Flower Fruit Mountain and forgot to lock the stables. As a result, horses ran to everywhere. When Su Wukong came back, nine horses were missing. They had escaped to Li River for the clear water and vibrant grass on the shore which made them lingered. The angry Jade Emperor dispatched a general to catch them back. After hearing the news, the nine horses tried to hide in the mountain. The general used his magic in hurry, and then the nine horses were turned into image on the mountain.
Inscriptions on Cliffs
On a precipice the foot of Mural Hill, there is a two words stonecutting of "Hua Shan" left during Ming Dynasty 455 years ago. With the total length and height of 5.3 meters and 3.2 meters, it is engraved with lace of auspicious clouds. Due to its convert location with the addition to its long history, it is hard to be seen unless climbing on a steep cliff.
What to explore
The essence of landscapes along Li River is rafting under the Mural Hill. Apart from the risky drift, hiking and bicycling near the Mural Hill can also endow visitors a relaxing jouney of nature.
Two lines to Mural Hill
Line1: take a boat from Yangdi. CNY80 for a motor boat, CNY60 for a bamboo raft.
Line2: take bamboo raft form Xingping Village (CNY 40/ 40minutes), then walk to Mural Hill.
“The clear Li River was circling the hill, and nobody will not raise his or her heads to appreciate the wonderful scenery of the hill.” a sentence from Ranyun’s poem, which describes people’s expressions and manner when appreciating the Mural Hill. If you are a mountain lover, do not miss Mural Hill.
