Reed Flute Cave (Ludi Yan) is a fascinating gallery of natural sculpture (limestone cave formations), now enhanced by multicolored lighting, which has been one of Guilin’s many interesting attractions for over 1200 years. It rates as one of the top four tourist sites in the city.
Reed Flute Cave is situated in the northwest suburbs of Guilin City (only about 4km from the center). The entrance is situated by Ludi (Reed Flute) Road on the south side of Guangming (Bright Light) Hill. The cave got its name from a type of reed growing outside, which can be made into melodious flutes. The cave is filled with a large number of stalactites, stalagmites and rock formations in weird and wonderful shapes.
The cave is about 240 meters long and a tour lasts about one hour. Along the u-shaped route, visitors will have ample time see the oddly shaped rocks and stone pillars while the guide narrates interesting stories about them. Illuminated by the colored lights, the cave looks like a dazzling underground palace. That’s why the cave is also known as the Nature’s Art Palace.
Inside the cave there are more than 70 inscriptions written in ink, which can be dated back as far as 792 AD in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). These aged inscriptions tell us that it has been an attraction in Guilin since ancient times. Since the cave opened to the public in 1962 millions of tourists have visited it.
