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Reed Flute Cave
Situated in a completely concealed spot
on Guangming Hill, 3.2 miles northwest of the town, Reed
Flute Cave is Guilin's largest and most impressive cave.
Its name is explained by the fact that reeds for making
flutes and pipes have been grown in this region since ancient
times. This dripstone cave is 790 feet deep, and a visitor
will walk for some 550 yards through a zigzagging sea of
stalactites and stalagmites in dazzling colors. Although
the cave is also known as a Palace of Natural Art, manmade
strategies use artificial lighting to emphasize the coincidental
similarity of the rock formations to birds, plants, and
animals. One grotto is called The Crystal Palace of the
Dragon King--an area that resembles a miniature Guilin.
Over 70 wall inscriptions from the Tang Period (618-907)
bear eloquent witness to the cave's long history.
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