Elegantly standing on the riverside, Fubo Hill (Wave-Subduing Hill) has its half standing in the river and the other half perching on land. The river waters are blocked by the hill and eddied, creating wavelets, hence the name - Subduing Wave Hill (literally means the waters has been subdued by the hill). Another legend says the hill got its name from a general, called Fubo who came to the place in a past dynasty.
Fubo Hill (Wave-Subduing Hill), is 120 meters long, 60 meters wide and 213 meters high. It stands solitarily in the northeast of the city and on west bank of Li River with half of the hill stretching into the river. Waves run back wherever they meet the blocks, hence the name "wave-subduing Hill". A tale has it that Ma Yuan who was called General Fubo from the Han Dynasty had once passed by Guilin on a southern expedition. He poured all the pearls he carried into the river, so the hill was named after him in his memory.
Natural scenery of rocks and stalactites as well as artificial cloister and pavilions compose the fantastic and unique sight of the hill. At the foot of the hill lie the Pearl-Returning Cave, the Thousand-Buddha Cave and the Sword-Testing Rock, all of which have great appeal. A gracious cloister and tearoom were built on the southern slope. Halfway to the hill is the Tingtao Pavilion (Pavilion of Listen-to-Waves). Stone stairs wind up towards the hilltop on the western slope of the hill. The Viewing Platform on the stairway is an ideal spot for taking in the panorama of Guilin.
At the eastern foot of the hill is a zigzagged water-eroded cave called Huan-Zhu Cave (Pearl-Retreating Cave), in which a variety of inscriptions of the well-known Chinese calligraphers and painters in the past dynasties can be found. Among them, the self-portrait and inscriptions of Mi Fu, one of the four greatest calligraphers in the Song Dynasty (960-1279) is the most precious one. There are also over 400 Buddhist carvings and statues of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) on the interior wall of the cave.
Inside Pearl-Returning Cave , a rock named Sword-Testing Rock hangs from the ceiling, nearly touching the ground. General Fubo is said to have tested his sword by cutting what was originally a stone pillar and has left a crevice at the bottom ever since. At the end of the cave is Thousand-Buddha Cave . There are 250 Buddhist statues and more than 100 carved inscriptions of various periods. Most of the statues are works of Tang and Song dynasties. On the western side, a flight of steps leads to Kuishui Pavilion and then to the top. From there, one can have a bird's-eye view of the Li River. There is another rock by the river on which legend says the emperor tested his swords for sharpness. The rock is therefore called cleft rock.
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