Guilin Photo Spots: 6 Offbeat Angles
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The single most photographed view in this entire region is printed on a banknote most travelers already carry in their wallet without realizing it. Six shots worth the extra planning, including one spot that might not exist under the name people keep giving it.
1. Yellow Cloth Shoal, the Actual ¥20-Note View
About 500m downstream from Mural Hill near Xingping, Yellow Cloth Shoal (Huangbutan) is the exact scene printed on the RMB 20 note, and it’s free and roadside to reach. Shoot from an elevated platform (¥5-10), from a cruise boat’s stern, or from ashore via a short raft ride out onto the water. Best light is sunrise, May through October.
2. Xianggong Hill, the Sunrise Spot That Might Not Be Real
Multiple mentions describe “Xianggong Hill” near Xingping as a sunrise-and-mist viewpoint, and a genuinely thorough round of research couldn’t confirm a location under that exact name, it may be an alternate name for Damian Hill nearby, or a separate, undocumented spot. Ask in Xingping before you go hunting for a pin that a map might not have.
3. Laozhai Hill, the Classic River-Bend Shot
Free and about a 30-minute steep climb, Laozhai Hill in Xingping delivers the elevated, coiling-river composition that shows up constantly in professional photography of this region, and it costs nothing beyond the climb itself.
4. Longji Terraces, on Two Different Calendars
Shoot for reflections during mirror season, mid-April into June, when flooded terraces double the sky; shoot for color during golden harvest, late September into mid-October, when the ripened rice turns the hillsides amber. Dazhai’s platforms are purpose-built for this: West Hill Music for sunrise, Golden Buddha Peak (reachable by cable car) for sunset.
5. Sun and Moon Twin Pagodas, Lit Up After Dark
The bronze Sun Pagoda (about 41m, 9 stories, billed as the world’s tallest bronze pagoda) and the glazed-tile Moon Pagoda (about 35m, 7 stories) sit in Shanhu Lake, linked by an underwater tunnel, and they’re best shot at night, either from the Two Rivers Four Lakes evening cruise or directly from the lakeside.
6. Elephant Trunk Hill, the Night Trick Most Visitors Miss
By day it’s the shape shot everyone takes, an elephant drinking from the river. At night, moonlight through the hill’s Water-Moon Cave arch creates the illusion of a second moon floating on the water below, a completely different composition from the daytime silhouette, and one that requires actually staying past dark to catch.
Do You Need a Tripod for Any of These?
For the night shots, yes, both Elephant Trunk Hill’s moonlight effect and the Two Rivers Four Lakes cruise reward a tripod or at minimum a stable rail to brace against, given the low light. Everything else on this list is doable handheld in daylight.
| Spot | Best time | Cost | Shot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Cloth Shoal | Sunrise, May-Oct | Free (platform ¥5-10) | The ¥20-note view |
| Xianggong Hill | Sunrise/mist | Unconfirmed | Possibly the same as Damian Hill |
| Laozhai Hill | Any daylight | Free | Elevated river-bend view |
| Longji terraces | Mid-Apr-Jun or late Sep-mid Oct | ¥80 combined | Mirror reflections or golden harvest |
| Sun and Moon Pagodas | Night | ¥210 (cruise) | Lit pagodas over Shanhu Lake |
| Elephant Trunk Hill | Night | ¥55 | Water-Moon Cave moonlight effect |
Book the Two Rivers Four Lakes night cruise if you want the pagoda shot without arranging your own lakeside spot, and search a Longji photography tour for the terraces if you want a guide who already knows this week’s light conditions. Our hidden gems post has more on Ling Canal and Flying Tiger Heritage Park if you’re after subjects with fewer other photographers in frame.
Go back to Elephant Trunk Hill after dark even if you already shot it that morning. It’s the one spot on this list where the daytime and nighttime versions look like two completely different landmarks.