Solitary Beauty
Peak
Solitary Beauty Peak (Duxiu Peak)
stands in solitary grace at the center of the
ancient Mansion of Prince Jingjiang (a noble family
in the Ming Dynasty). Towering from the ground
with an elevation of 216 meters, it is reputed
as "Sky-Supporting Pillar in the South".
During the Southern Dynasty (420-589), some 1500
years ago, Yan Yanzhi, governor of Guilin, wrote
the line: "none can surpass this solitary
peak in beauty." hence the name Solitary
Beauty Peak.
At the foot of the peak are Dushu
(Study) Rock, Taiping (Peace) Rock and Yueya (Crescent)
Pond. On the eastern side of the hill there are
many inscriptions from the Qing dynasty, such
as "Southern Sky-supporting Pillar"
and "Purple Gown and Golden Belt." A
flight of 396 stone steps leads from the west
foot of the hill up to the top, where you can
get a panoramic view of the whole city and all
the mountains surrounding it.
Note that this peak is situated in
the grounds of the Guangxi Normal College, so
visitors may enter only after 2:00 pm.
Boating south from the dock, and passing
Nine Dragons Playing in the Water, the ship enters
the Ox Gorge, where the next highpoint of the
trip arrives.
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