Moonhill, the famous karst mountain of Yangshuo

If there is a specific symbol of Yangshuo to be named, it is for sure Moonhill. Some locals will tell you: "If you visit Yangshuo and you have not been to this strange shaped hole in the rocks, you haven't seen the scenery of Guilin and Yangshuo". True or not, I leave that to you, but Moonhill is worth a visit.

Why is Moonhill the symbol, so to say, of Yangshuo? The rock is part of a larger series of strange shaped rock formations but this is the only one with a sort of half moon shaped hole in it. It seems that all roads and paths sooner or later lead you to Moonhill. There are few rocks so symbolic as Moonhill. And look for yourself, isn't it a nice view?

Moonhill, symbol of Yangshuo

Moonhill is easy to reach as it is close to the main road. When you get a bicycle, take the road south out of Yangshuo. The distance between Yangshuo and Moonhill is a 9 kilometers. Motorbikes can be rented in town or you can take a motorized rickshaw. Make sure you first negotiate the price. First you cross the Yu Long River bridge, near the big Banyard tree. A few hundred meter further on you will see Moonhill on your right hand.

There are several other ways to reach Moonhill, all go through the local padifields but end up in front of Moonhill on the main road.

An old entrance ticket to Moonhill Yangshuo

There is an entrance fee of Y15, and includes a guarded parking space for your bicycle. Although the path is not difficult, it takes about 30 to 40 minutes slow walk up. You can walk up to the hole in the rock and have some good views over the surrounding karst mountains.

A view through the hole in Moonhill Yangshuo

The view here shows clearly the limestone mountains seem to grow out of the flat lands. It's a very beautiful sight and for sure worth a visit.

The main problem at Moonhill is hawkers trying to sell you all kinds of stuff, from postcards to water. Some dress as local farmers and some of them are local farmers but most are just people from town trying to make an additional income. They can be very persuasive.

View through the hole in Moonhill

Usually it is more quiet in the earlier morning or late afternoon. The views are sometimes a bit hazy at those times but that gives it also a bit of a mysterious idea.

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