Located in the southwestern district of Fangshan, the mysterious Xianqi Cave is about 100 kilometers (62 miles) from urban Beijing. The cave is a typical karst cave with large areas of karst formations. The karsts have infinite variety and are amazing and vivid. Naturally, the cave is called 'a Fairyland in Beijing'. With a waterway 450 meters (1480 feet) long, the cave is only accessible by boat.
The deep cave has upper, middle and lower floors with numerous crisscrossed underground streams. It is said that the cave took form 1,600 million years ago and the flowers inside have developed for 1 million years. The cave has a total length of more than 4 kilometers (2.5 miles), and 900 meters (2,950 feet) are available for sightseeing. The entrance to the cave makes it distinct from all others. Visitors enter the cave by a waterway located half-way up a hill and leave the cave on foot. The temperature in the cave is comfortable, neither too hot nor too cold.
There are more than ten varieties of karst landscape in the marvelous cave including stalactites, stone pillars, stalagmite, pinnacles, cobbles, stone curtains, cave flowers, and stone drums. The stalactites have unique shapes and exquisite coloring. Some stalagmites stand over 10 meters (33 feet), like grand pillars, while some gather together and look like forests of towers.
The white stalagmites offer thousands of shapes. Some are of massive, while others tower high and straight. Some are especially fascinating because they produce a musical ringing when tapped. The hall, bejeweled with colorful lights, presents a splendid view. Such a rare and magnificent karst cave which is enormous and possesses innumerable wonders combines extraordinary beauty with the strangeness of another world.
The natural scenery outside the cave is enchanting. Near the cave lies a temple with an unusual spring. The spring is rather cold in hot summer, but there is steam rising from the spring in bitter winter. To the east, an artificial lake and a great canyon are adorned with wild flowers in spring and red leaves in autumn. The tamed squirrels in a nearby park are unafraid of visitors and often come very close.
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Admission Fee:
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CNY 45
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Opening Hours:
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08:00-18:00
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Bus Route:
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917 (Tianqiao Long Distance Bus Station-Zhangfang), and then take a taxi to the Xianqi Cave.
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Beijing Valleys and Gullies, Caves:
