Reed Flute Cave is almost 800 feet long and has a constant temperature of about 66 degrees. It is an active cave with dripping water that is still creating new formations of stalactites and stalagmites.
The existing formations are large and impressive throughout the cave. Multicolored lights are set up to enhance the natural beauty of the formations and they decidedly add to the wow factor of the cave.
There is evidence that people visited the cave as far back as 792 AD, during the Tang Dynasty. There are more than 70 different inscriptions and poems written on the walls that date back to that time period.
There is a large chamber in the cave that can hold up to 1,000 people and this area, which was used during the Second World War as a bomb shelter, is now the part of the cave where a video, which showed the process of the cave's formation, was shown on the wall.
Fubo Hill is a naturally occurring limestone karst formation that is nearly 700 feet tall. Surrounding the hill is a small park that has a beautifully manicured topiary peacock and wonderful meandering pathways.
At the base of Fubo Hill there are a couple of caves and a large stalactite stone column that is wide at the top and gets thinner towards the bottom where it almost reaches the ground. This is called the sword testing stone because the legend is that the gap at the bottom of the stalactite formed when General Fubo cut through the stone with his sword.
There is also a giant bell from the Qing Dynasty on display.
This complex of buildings was first built in the 14th century and has been home to fourteen different Ming Dynasty princes. Today the buildings are used as a school by Guangxi Normal University.
Elephant Trunk Hill is a large limestone formation that resembles a drinking elephant.
The rounded opening beneath the trunk of the elephant is called the Water-Moon Cave. At night, the reflection of the moon in the water makes it appear to be floating in the cave under the trunk of the elephant.
There was also a cormorant fisher sitting at the shore there so people could, for a fee, pose for photos with her birds.
There were some nice walking paths through the area and we enjoyed the scenery as well as numerous bridges and statues that were on display.
Cormorant fishing is a traditional method of fishing, more than 1,000 years old, in which trained cormorants are used to catch fish.
The fisherman goes out onto the river with a reed raft and two to three cormorants which he has raised and trained since they were chicks. A kerosene lamp is used as a light source and a snare is tied at the base of the bird's neck in order to prevent him from swallowing fish.
When a fish is caught, the cormorant returns to the raft and the fisherman helps the bird cough up the fish into a basket. Generally, two to three hours per day of fishing yields about 9 pounds worth of fish.
The incredible limestone karst mountains along the beautiful Li River provided a wonderful scenic adventure as we took a half day 50 mile cruise.
The limestone hills were formed under water about 200 million years ago and then were uplifted by the movement of tectonic plates. Over time, wind and rain have eroded the soft limestone and sculpted them into the beautiful shapes we see today.
The scenery was stunning and as we rounded each curve in the river we were treated to new and different views of the uniquely beautiful karst formations.
The hills were covered with osmanthus trees and bamboo groves that made them appear lush and green.
Occasionally we passed an old village or a fisherman out on his bamboo raft. The setting was very peaceful and serene. It was a wonderful way to spend our morning.
