You'll find everything from odd rock shapes to a musical stage in Beijing's caves. Photos: Courtesy of the Travel Bureau of Fangshan district

By Yin Yeping

Did you know Beijing has no shortage of caves? In Fangshan district, where almost all the caves can be found, there are up to 500, with at least 100 of them open for public exploration. Currently, there are four main ones in the latter category: Shihua, Xianqi, Shangfangshan Yunshui and Yinhu.

Shihua

Fifty kilometers from downtown, Shihua grotto is not only a national tourist attraction but also an educational center of natural science. Around 400 million years ago, Beijing was under a vast ocean whose carbonate materials sedimented after the tectonic shift that resulted in the formation of the mountains. In 1446, a monk called Yuan Guang discovered Shihua while traveling.

Shihua grotto is not only famous for its multiple levels and winding tunnels but the abundant underground scenery. "Almost everthing that you might see in any cave  worldwide can be found here," claims Liu Xuenong, chief of the travel bureau of Fangshan district. "Because of this, international organizations in the cave field often come here for research." Magnificent natural works of art caused by water erosion can be found up to 2,500 meters deep. An ordinary trip might take around two hours. But be warned, with an average temperature of around 13 degrees, summer clothing should be supplemented.

Address: Nancheying village, Hebei town, Fangshan district

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Xianqi

After Shihua, Xianqi's smaller size might seem underwhelming but its 16 million year history should give you pause for thought, as might the 300,000 to 700,000 year-old exhibits. You can take a boat through around 500 meters of water, which adds some fun to the initial excavation of caving topography, including stalactites, rocky waterfalls and crags.

When first officially opened for public exploration in 1998, the water level was too high to permit entry but seven months of draining has meant 6,000 meters of cave have been discovered with only 1,000 meters opened to the public so far.

Rumor has it the name Xianqi (fairy shelter) relates to a monk from Wutai Mountain in Shanxi Province who wished to take the place as his ashram. After exploring, he mistook the oddly shaped rocks for fairies and dropped his plan. Then again, China, like the West, like to associate underground dwellings with enchantment and mythology - unlike the West, though, they tend to add to the nature's beauty by ramming the point home with lurid fairly lights then dubbing them "magic caves".

Address: Zhangfang town, Fangshan district

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Yunshui

Yunshui grotto in Shangfang Mountain is the biggest in Northern China. Six caverns 50 meters tall await you along a 600-meter path inside. The biggest is almost 60 meters high and 2,000 square meters large, with an eye-catching stalagmite that's nearly 37 meters tall– the biggest of its kind in China. Liu said that this is the first grotto opened to the public since the 1980s. "Back in the Song Dynasty (960-1279), this grotto was already considered a natural wonder and drew frequent visitors from the Buddhist temple in the mountain," he said. "But at that time, people had to get inside by crawling through a tiny entrance." During the Republic of China (1912-1949), General Zhang Xueliang expanded the entrance so people could get in more conveniently.

Address: Yuesheng Road, Fangshan district

房山区岳圣路

Yinhu

Last, but not least, is the 60-kilometer-deep Yinhu grotto. Here you'll enjoy a haunting boat ride along a 1,500-meter underground river whose water is so clear you can see all the way to the bottom. It is also drinkable, and they even say the rich trace elements may benefit your health. If the other three grottos were too short for you, this one has a path that stretches 4,000 meters, and that should be more than enough for anybody.

For music fans, Yinhu grotto is a venue unlike any other. Deep inside is a stage set up for underground musical performances that beats any indie bar or club for sheer coolness.

Yinhu is a place both big and small. The narrowest path is only about one meter wide, while the widest area is up to 35 meters. In this 30,000-square meter grotto, one thing you cannot miss is  "Yinhu," or The Fox.

"This grotto was coincidently discovered while exploiting a coal mine in 1992," said Liu. "We found this unique rock formation that was formed by running water."  The Fox rock looks strangely like a two-meter-tall white stone fox hanging upside down from the ceiling. Nearby is another that looks like a rabbit. Nobody knows how this strange scene was formed, but it does create an amazing scene for anyone who ventures down here.

Address: Xiayingshui village, Fuozizhuang county, Fangshan district

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