Seven Star Crags 七星岩

About Seven Star Crags

Paths and narrow land strips divide the water into connected sections, changing the view as each crag overlaps the next. The rock faces also carry a substantial collection of inscriptions, so the visit rewards close inspection as well as broad lake panoramas. Begin with the lakeshore and a manageable crag-side circuit; caves, boats and steeper stairways are separate choices subject to local access conditions.

The seven crags are naturally arranged in the same formation as the stars of the Big Dipper constellation, standing one after another around the lake. According to local tradition, the limestone pillars grew from stars that fell from the sky. The area contains a number of caves, some with underground rivers large enough to navigate by boat, and one crag can be climbed by a steep stairway leading to a small pavilion for viewing the lake and the neighboring crags. Numerous sculptures of Buddhist and Taoist figures stand around the lake, and a reserve for migratory birds lies within reach by boat.

The crags and Star Lake together cover an area of 8 square kilometers, across from the centre of Zhaoqing city opposite Paifang Square, with the lake partitioned into five sections separated by strips of land and walkways. Because of their visual similarity to the mountains of Guilin, the crags are also referred to as the little Guilin. There are 531 pieces of cliff inscription in the area, and Seven Star Crags is a major historical and cultural site under state protection; Star Lake has additionally been designated a national park.

What to look for

• Limestone crags rise from the connected basins of Star Lake.
• Cliff inscriptions add carved cultural detail to the rock faces.

Location & getting there

Getting to Seven Star Crags

For an initial lake view, use Paifang Square at the city-facing southern end of Star Lake. Xinghu West Road follows the western shore and Xinghu Avenue the eastern side; choose the current signed visitor gate for the crag circuit rather than assuming every waterfront path enters the ticketed area.