The Seven Star Crags () are located across from the center of

Zhaoqing Zhaoqing (), alternately romanized as Shiuhing, is a prefecture-level city in Guangdong Province, China. As of the 2020 census, its population was 4,113,594, with 1,553,109 living in the built-up (or metro) area made of Duanzhou, Dinghu ...

City, Guangdong, People's Republic of China. The crags are all situated in or around Star Lake directly opposite Paifang square in downtown Zhaoqing. The area including the crags and Star Lake compromise . The lake is partitioned into five separate sections divided with small strips of land and walkways. They form one of the most scenic locations in the province and are one of the main tourist draws of the city, the other being

Dinghu Mountain Dinghu Mountain and Lake () is located in Dinghu District, 18 km to the east of Zhaoqing City, in the Dayunwu Mountain Range, in Guangdong Province of southern China. It is one of the four famous mountains - Danxia, Dinghu, Xiqiao and Lu ...

. The crags are many times referred to as the little

Guilin Guilin (Standard Zhuang: ''Gveilinz''; alternatively romanized as Kweilin) is a prefecture-level city in the northeast of China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. It is situated on the west bank of the Li River and borders Hunan to the nort ...

due to their striking visual similarity to Guilin's mountains.

Description

The

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms w ...

crags are naturally arranged in the same formation as the seven stars of the

Big Dipper The Big Dipper ( US, Canada) or the Plough ( UK, Ireland) is a large asterism consisting of seven bright stars of the constellation Ursa Major; six of them are of second magnitude and one, Megrez (δ), of third magnitude. Four define a "bowl" ...

constellation. Legend has it that the pillars of limestone grew from stars that fell from the skies. There are a number of caves in this area and some contain underground rivers that are large enough to navigate by boat. One of the crags can be climbed, having steep stairs going up the side; at the top is a small pavilion for viewing the lake and neighboring crags. Boat tours of the crags and lake can be taken from the area west of Paifang Square. Star Lake has been designated a national park. Numerous sculptures of Buddhist and Taoist idols are located around Star Lake. There is also a reserve for migratory birds within reach by boat ride. Beautiful views of the crags and lake can be seen by driving or walking on Xinghu West Road on the west of the lake and Xinghu Avenue on the east. Seven Star Crags consist of crags, lake and caves. The seven crags, seen like the Big Dipper at a distance, stand one after another around a vast expanse of dark green lake water. With the grotesque crags, fantastic caves and beautiful lakes, Seven Star Crags have long been reputed as a wonderful place boasting picturesque scenery of the West Lake in Hangzhou and the hills in Guilin. There are 531 pieces of cliff inscription in this place. It is a major historical and cultural site under state protection.

References

{{wikidataCoord, , type:waterbody_scale:10000, display=title Zhaoqing Landforms of Guangdong Rock formations of China Major National Historical and Cultural Sites in Guangdong