Towering over the Li River's west bank, Folded Brocade Hill (Diecai Shan 叠彩山) lies in the north-central part of Guilin City.
It is one of Guilin City’s most famous and frequented parks. It offers a short steep climb on stone steps, various pavilions, fantastic views of the city and surrounding mountains, ancient inscriptions and a cave that goes all the way through the mountain.
Folded Brocade Hill is listed as #6 of Things to Do in Guilin on TripAdvisor in 2019. It is the tallest of the hills in central Guilin.
Why It's Called Folded Brocade Hill
The hill’s name is derived from its queer-looking rocks which are horizontally fissured. The Chinese name Diecai Hill actually means Folded Colors Hill. However, diecai was used in famous Tang Dynasty (618-907) poetry to mean folded layers of colored silk brocade, and this is what came to mind when someone first named the hill.
Folded Brocade Hill has four peaks: Yuyue (Passover) Peak, Siwang (Look-In-Four-Directions) Peak, Xianhe (Crane Peak) and Mingyue (Bright Moon) Peak. It is popular to climb up Bright Moon Peak for the bird's eye view of Guilin city.
Halfway up there is a cave called Wind Cave that runs through the hill. The cave is calabash or bottle gourd-shaped with two wider mouths on one side of the hill and a narrow passage, which only allows one person to pass through at a time, on the other side of the hill.
A cool breeze blows inside all year around, which gave it the name Wind Cave. Inside the cave are 90 Buddha sculptures of the Tang and Song (960-1279) dynasties, as well as dozens of ancient stone inscriptions from these and subsequent dynasties.
Following the narrow stone path up, after Wind Cave there are Face-The-Cloud Pavilion and Over-The-River Pavilion, which provide good stops on the steep ascent to the top, Bright Moon Peak.
Bright Moon Peak, the summit of the hill, is 223m above sea level, but only about 70 meters above the adjacent Li River. Standing at Catch-the-Cloud Pavilion on Bright Moon Peak sightseers can get a bird view of Guilin City.
Nearby Hill Attractions
Our guests at Fubo Hill's summit. It has a nice city view.
Seven Star Park Is a nearby big park area with seven hills (hence the name). One hill has a cave system developed for touring, and it also has beautiful gardens, a small zoo, and a small amusement park.
Fubo Hill — 362 steps, 213 meters, to the top. There is nice scenery near the Li River as you can see in the picture and a cave. Tourists rate it as one of the top things to do in Guilin City, and it is near the city center. You can walk to it from Guilin Train Station in less than an hour.
Duxiu Hill — This is called Solitary Beauty Peak in English. It is a tower of rock with 306 steps to the top in downtown Guilin next to Ming Prince Mansion.
Elephant Trunk Hill — The hill next to the Li River has a small park with gardens.
Xianggong Hill — It is 300 meters (1,000 feet) tall in a beautiful setting right on the Li River near Xingping Fishing Village about 20 kilometers outside Yangshuo. Hiking to the top, you can get excellent pictures of the Li River valley.
Learn about several other famous hills around the Guilin area in Guilin Mountains (Top 10 Karst Hills in Guilin).
Big Attractions around Guilin
Yangshuo — a small tourist town of about 20 to 30 thousand is a 50 minute drive from Guilin. It is the most popular attraction for the natural beauty in the area. Li River cruises embark/disembark there. Hiking, biking, rafting, climbing, and tourist shopping at West Street are popular.
Li River Cruises — These cruise boat trips to/from Yangshuo are what made Guilin famous since Nixon took the trip in the 1970s.
Reed Flute Cave — It is an extensive and most-renowned limestone cave system on the north side of Guilin.
Travel Essentials
China Highlights' private Guilin transportation is a convenient alternative to public transportation and taxis.
Location: east bank of the Li River with 1.5 km from Guilin downtown
Opening hours: April to November, 6:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m and December to March, 7:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m
Bus routes: Bus 2 or 203 to Deicai Shan (叠彩山) or 1, 18, 89, 100 to Dongzhen Road Station
Taxi: It takes about 15 minutes and about 4 USD to go to/from Diecai Hill and Guilin Train Station. Show the taxi driver: 叠彩山.
Entrance Fees: 25 RMB (about 3.50 USD) adult tickets and free for children below 1.2 meters (3.9 feet)
Private Transport Service
If you would prefer not to take public transport, then consider our private transport services. We are based in Guilin and know every nook and cranny and its ins and outs. Our drivers can get you there, quickly, comfortably, and in style.
If you are planning on coming to Guilin or Yangshuo, you can contact our local travel guides easily by phone or online. We can provide free travel advice or help you arrange a trip.