Reed Flute Cave in Guilin

Why is Reed Flute Cave So Special?

Reed Flute Cave is a brilliant karst cave with marks on almost all tourist routes. Its name comes from the green reeds growing outside it. People use reeds to make flutes. In fact, this cave eroded by water is a spectacular world with various stalactites, stone pillars and rock formations formed by carbonate deposits. Under the illumination of colored lights, this wonderful spectacle has many variations. Walking through the dense stone pillars, tourists can see the changing scenic spots and feel that they are in the paradise where the gods live.

Where is Reed Flute Cave

Reed flute cave is located in the northwest suburb of Guilin, 5 kilometers away from the city center. It is a scenic area with caves as its main tourist attraction and landscapes as its auxiliary tourist attraction.

Main Attraction of Reed Flute Cave

Tower-shaped Pine (Ta Song Ao Xue)

There are two kinds of strange stalagmites: one is like a snowman. Because of the cold, he put his hand in his pocket. The other is like a round tower-shaped pine tree, with a thick layer of ice and snow on its branches.

Crystal Palace

"Crystal Palace" is the widest part in the Reed Flute Cave. This is a bright hall, and the heights around it are dropping. Stalactites hang in four directions, just like a series of lanterns decorating the hall. Under the action of light, some stalagmites look like jumping fish.

Leaving Crystal Palace, several narrow alleys appeared in front of tourists. According to Chinese myths and legends, this is the place where Monkey King, the main character in Journey to the West, fought with many subordinates of the Dragon King to acquire his powerful weapon, the Sea Magic Needle.

Inscriptions on the Cave Wall

Despite the charming natural scenery inside the flute cave, there are still many works on the wall. According to statistics, 77 travel notes and poems are said to have originated from the Tang Dynasty (618-907), making the cave a popular tourist attraction at that time.

How was the Reed Flute Cave formed? 

Reed Flute Cave is formed by long-term water erosion and carbonate deposition. The rocks inside the cave are mainly limestone. When the underground water flows, it dissolves the calcium carbonate inside the limestone. When the water containing calcium carbonate flows out from underground or drops out from cave roof, the water evaporate, only leaving calcium carbonate. After years of accumulation, stalactites form. Till today, these stalactites inside the cave are still “growing” as the water keeps dropping or flowing.

Best Time to Travel Reed Flute Cave

Reed flute cave is suitable for sightseeing all the year round. April to October is the best time to travel. reed flute cave is located in Guilin, Guangxi. It has a subtropical monsoon climate with mild climate, long summer and short winter, abundant annual precipitation, abundant sunshine, an annual average temperature of 19 degrees, sufficient light, a mild season, no severe winter and no extreme summer. Of course, you must pay attention to the weather changes when traveling, so as not to be affected.

How To Get  There

• Take city bus 3, 58, 13 and get off at Reed Flute Cave Station. 
• Take City Sightseeing Bus to get there. Its running route is Elephant Trunk Hill - Seven Star Park - Wave Subduing Hill - Folded Brocade Hill - Reed Flute Cave. It departs from 10:00 to15:30 with an interval of 30 minutes.

Useful Travel Tips

Nearby Attractions

• Guilin Merryland Theme Park
• Green Lotus Hotel in Yangshuo, Guilin
• Baimian Yao Village in Longsheng County, Guilin
• Impression of Liu Sanjie in Guilin
• Sun and Moon Twin Pagodas in Guilin
• Gudong Waterfall Scenic Area, Guilin

Recommended Guilin Tour Packages

• 1 Day Longsheng Rice Terraces and Ethnic Minority Culture Tour
• 1 Day Guilin Li River Cruise Tour
• 1 Day Guilin Li River Cruise Group Tour
• 1-Day Li River Cruise and Yangshuo Highlights Tour
• Half-Day Guilin Tour with Elephant Trunk Hill, Reed Flute Cave, Fubo Hill

Edited by Doreen/张洋