Xilong Islet

Opening Hours: Open all day

Admission Fee: Free

Contact Information: A small islet situated in the Xijiang River of Wuzhou City

Best Visiting Seasons: Suitable for visits all year round

Complaint Hotline: 0774-3856362

Transportation Guide

To set foot on Xilong Islet, take a ferry from the urban ferry terminal to the island. If you only wish to admire it from afar, head to the riverbank at the eastern exit of Hedong District, accessible via Bus No. 4.

Scenic Description

Xilong Islet is a small islet in the Xijiang River, 3.5 kilometers away from downtown Wuzhou. Formerly known as Qili Islet, it covers around 1.5 hectares. Surrounded by river water on all sides, a single steep peak rises abruptly and stands firm amid the current, hence the ancient moniker "Standing Dragon Islet". No matter how severe the floodwaters swell, the islet is never submerged.

Legend holds that immortals left a chicken coop here in ancient times, supported by two divine ducks, which explains why it never sinks even in massive floods. Local Wuzhou residents also call it "Chicken Coop Islet".

A Wenchang Pavilion was first built here in the Ming Dynasty and reconstructed during the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty. Lush graceful trees cover the islet, their green foliage mirrored in the river. Beneath the banks, rushing water splashes into silver beads and snow-white spray, while boats shuttle back and forth like weavers’ shuttles. Gazing afar, visitors behold elegant towering mountain ridges and the river-wrapped mountain city of Wuzhou, presenting a splendid southern landscape that delights the eye and heart.

The Yongli Emperor of the Southern Ming once moored his imperial boat here to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, naming the place the Water Palace.

Numerous celebrities composed poems in praise of Xilong Islet:

"It stands firm amid the surging tide, the lone Xilong Islet."
— Untitled Poem by Liu Yigui, Ming Dynasty
"The craggy Dragon-Tethering Rock clusters like whales and crocodiles;
It stands as a pillar against raging torrents, guarding the great river’s gateway."
— Untitled Poem by Yuan Jingxing, Ming Dynasty
"A strange rock shaped just like a single boat,
Moored midstream as wild waves beat its banks.
I came not to ride the tide, but to follow my heart,
Listening to the river’s roar for half a day’s wander."
— Ascending Xilong Islet by Mo Naiqun