Mural Hill

Mural Hill

Mural Hill, also known as Nine Horses Fresco Hill, is an attraction you can never miss if you visit Li River. It is located on the west bank of Li River, about 60 km (37 miles) from Guilin and close to Xingping Town. Facing the broad and peaceful watercourse is a large and steep stone cliff which looks like a huge painted screen. Backed by mountains and consisting of five peaks, Mural Hill is an assemblage of weathered rocks in yellow, white, black, grey and green colors. Looking from a distance the mottled cliff face resembles a huge piece of mural with images of nine horses in various poses.

Taking a cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo is more convenient but less fun because you cannot go ashore and have to take pictures from the top deck of the cruise ship. By contrast, taking a raft is more sensible. Mural Hill is only 4 km (2.5 miles) away from Xingping Town in Yangshuo County, so independent travelers can also go hiking from Xingping and savor the beauty of Li River. Strolling or taking a raft along the river beside verdurous hills with fantastic legends, one will feel like wandering through a landscape painting. That's why Mural Hall always appeals to visitors.

 The hill is called Jiu Ma Hua Shan in Chinese, which means a mural hill with nine horses. According to a legend, these nine horses were raised in Heaven and attended by Monkey King, a fictitious character in China’s classical literature. However, Monkey King was not happy with his job and he often went back to Huaguoshan Mountain where he lived on Earth and left the heavenly horses unattended. Once, nine of them escaped to the world. They wandered lightheartedly through the verdant mountains with clear water and blooming flowers and they enjoyed the scenery so much that they never went back. Later, they had to hide in a cave to escape a god from Heaven who had been sent to bring them back. Unfortunately the horses were discovered by that god while bathing in Li River at dawn, and in a hurry to escape they ran into the cliff side, where they were turned into stone images as a punishment for not getting back.

Another legend says that nine horses were seen to be drinking water in the Li River by a painter who wished to draw this scene. As a result, the horses were frightened and ran into the cliff in a hurry and confusion. However inconceivable those legends may sound, they add mystery to the enchanting scenery, making people all the more engrossed by the magical working of nature.
The horses’ attitudes differ. One image may be of a horse running wild, while others may be standing still, neighing, grazing or drinking water. It is not that easy to identify all of the nine horses for it requires keen eyesight and a rich imagination. A folk ballad claims that the one who can identify all nine horses will be Number One Scholar, the one who came out first in the highest imperial examination in ancient China.

The former Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai also visited there in 1960s and it was reported that he was able to recognize and identify all of the nine horses. When the General Chen Yi asked Zhou how many horses he could identify, Zhou said eighteen. Do you know why there are eighteen of them? That is because nine horses are on the wall and others are reflected on the water surface.

Behind the Mural Hill is a gorge suitable for drifting. There is a 180-m (590-feet) drop and the whole course is 3.5 km long (about 2.2 miles), resembling a silk ribbon winding its way through the valleys. Riding on the inflatable raft against the torrent is certainly much fun!
  Take a Li River cruise ship from Guilin Zhujiang Dock (Bamboo River Dock)  or Mopanshan Dock (Millstone Dock) to Yangshuo, which will pass Mural Hill on the way; otherwise, take a bus from Guilin South Bus Station to Xingping Town first, taking 1.5h and CNY 40, and then hire a bamboo raft to Mural Hill and appreciate the river view.

 From Guilin North Railway Station, South Railway Station and Sanlidian Square, tourists can take a direct bus to Guilin Zhujiang Dock or Mopanshan Dock. The bus departs at 06:50 at Guilin North Railway Station, 07:15 from Guilin South Railway Station and 07:50 from Sanlidian Square.

 From Yangshuo: First one can take a bus from Yangshuo Bus Station to Xingping Town, taking about 1.5h and CNY 15. After arrival, walk westward to find Xingping Dock and take a bamboo raft there and then drift upriver. Hikers can walk from Xingping to the Mural Hill, which takes around 1.5 hours.

Admission Fees	Free of charge.
Opening Hours	The whole day.