As Beijing expands into Hebei province, we’re reminded that the city isn’t confined to its center. If you’re finding that you’ve forgotten what a blue sky looks like or looking to breathe for a couple of hours, make your way to Beijing’s southwest suburbia Fangshan…the birthplace of Chinese civilization. Yep: You read that right.
Especially attractive is the coolness of the caves (in all senses of the word) in the area. So cold, in fact, that guides recommend renting a coat or jacket to wear inside. As we reveled in the natural air conditioning in shorts and a t-shirt, we were pleasantly surprised to find that this cave is actually pretty cool (ha).
The Silver Fox Cave 银狐洞 (so named for a fox-like stalactite, not a George Clooney-like one) is a rare find, as far as Beijing tourist sites go.
A group of coal miners discovered the karst cave in 1992, after having been undisturbed for four billion years. With 3,000 meters of it open to tourists, the grounds are expansive and well lit (rainbow colored, if I may add), providing extra wonder to the naturally formed stalactites and stalagmites - essentially dripstone - that pave the way. Our guide liked to point at things to explain the origin of their naming, although it became pretty self-explanatory (i.e. “lion,” “Chairman Mao Zedong,” “lily pad”).
The star of the show (supposedly) is “Silver fox,” deemed as one of “China’s national treasures,” along with it being the only one of its kind in the world. All 20 meters of it are encased in a glass box, a large white crystal formation that resembles *drum roll* a fox.
Looks like moss to me.
Highlights of the tour included a boat ride inside the cave. No kidding, we felt like Indiana Jones. With only the light on the small passenger boat to guide us, we ooh-ed and ah-ed as we drifted through crystal-clear mineral waters. Ducking in and out was kind of a struggle, but our guide made sure to shout the warnings, proudly admitting later that in all twenty years of the cave being open, no one has been dumb enough to crush their noggin in’.
The climb out of the cave required a little exercise, and by then we were craving the heat. In short… 5 stars. If you have a free Saturday, it’s a good place to consider. The ride is about 1.5 hrs, but the scenery on the way out of Beijing is a worthwhile experience. There’s a mountain (a mountain!) behind it that looked free to climb as well. More importantly, there were no crowds. When we toured the cave at around 2 pm, we were the only group in the entire cave.
Other important must-sees in the area include Zhou Kou Dian, home of the Peking Man Site and another more famous cave: Shi Hua Dong.
To get to Silver Fox Cave: Take subway line 1 to Pingguoyuan Station. Leave the station from Exit A. Walk west for 200 meters and take the bus 948. Get off at Silver Fox Cave Crossing (Yinhu Dong Lukou) and walk for about 1.5 km. Tickets are 60 RMB. Open 8 am – 5 pm.
Another option is to take Subway Line 9 to Guogongzhuang. Switch to the Fangshan line and take it all the way to the end. The train runs above ground and provides great views of the surrounding landscape. Once at the end, get off and taxi your way to the caves for a great drive through the mountains. Reminded me of Huangshan, actually.
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