Well, you must be wondering why you’re missing several days of posts – hard drive and internet issues abound. I’ll be posting more current topics as soon as I can and will go over the missing days when I can or after we return to Florida.

Reed Flute Cave

The Reed Flute Cave, also known as “the Palace of Natural Arts,” is a landmark and tourist attraction in Guilin, China. The cave got its name from the type of reed growing outside, which can be made into flutes. Reed Flute Cave is filled with stalactites, stalagmites and other rock formations. Inside, there are more than 70 inscriptions of poems and travelogues written in ink, the oldest of which can be dated to 792 AD in the Tang dynasty. It was rediscovered in the 1940s by a group of refugees fleeing the Japanese troops. Nowadays, multicolored lighting artificially illuminates the cave.

Elephant Trunk Hill is the symbol of the city of Guilin. It got its name because it looks like an elephant drinking water. The round opening beneath the elephant’s trunk is known as Water-Moon Cave because, at night, the reflection of the moon can be seen through the arch, making it look as if it is underwater, floating on the surface. Elephant Trunk Hill and Water Moon Cave are located at the confluence of the Taohua River and the Lijiang River.

Tea Plantation