Solitary Beauty Peak

Solitary Beauty Peak (Duxiu Feng) is located in downtown area of Guilin city. 1500 years ago, during the Southern Dynasty (420-589), Yang Yanzhi, governor of Guilin and a poet, wrote these lines: None can surpass this solitary peak in beauty, Towering in the centre of the town, stately and lofty. It is from this poem that the hill derived its name. There is a natural stone chamber located in the east of the hill and it is believed to be the study used by Yan Yanzhi when he was the Magistrate of Guilin 1,500 years ago. The peak provides a good view of the town below. It has been called the "pillar of the Southern Sky." In the haze of dawn or the glow of sunset the peak is purple or gold. A climb up the 306 stone steps to the top is rewarded by a panoramic view of the city. The view from here shows clearly the many limestone pinnacles that rise out of the flat land that surrounds them. On the east side of the hill there are such inscriptions from the Qing Dynasty as "Southern Sky-supporting Pillar" and "Purple Gown and Golden Belt." At the foot of the hill are "Study Rock", "Peace Rock" and "The Crescent pond". A flight of 396 stone steps leads from the west foot of the hill up to the top, where one commands a panoramic view of the whole city and all the mountains surrounding it.