Tan Xiaomi

JUST an hour’s drive from downtown Beijing, the western suburb of Fangshan has gained UNESCO recognition.

In September, Fangshan and five other national geoparks in China were named World Geoparks by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, bringing the country’s World Geopark number to 18.

Fangshan meets all the requirements of geological value as well as archaeological, ecological or cultural value, where considerable local efforts are being made to preserve and enhance the heritage.

Surrounded by mountains, Fangshan is home to the 600,000-year old Peking Man Site. It is also one of the four Buddhist holy places in China, since the ancient Buddhist Yunju Temple houses the Buddhist relic “Sakyamuni’s Bone” along with more than 14,000 stone slabs carved with Buddhist sutras. Fangshan’s scenic spots include breathtaking cliffs, unique caves, and ancient forests.

Peking Man Site

In 1929, a Chinese paleoanthropologist discovered a complete skull of Peking Man, or Sinanthropus, on Dragon Bone Hill, northwest of Zhoukoudian in Fangshan. Later, archaeologists unearthed some 40 fossilized skeletons of Peking Man.

The remains are outstanding documentation of the evolutionary process from ape to man, with Peking Man as the ancestor of the Chinese nation.

The discovery dates the cultural history of Beijing back to 600,000 years ago, with the Peking Man Site considered one of the birthplaces of civilization.

With the most abundant fossils in the world from the same period, the site is an exceptional illustration of the process of evolution of prehistoric societies on the Asian continent.

Stone tools and evidence of Peking Man’s use of fire were found on the site. The largest ash pile discovered in the area is six meters thick.

Studies have shown that Peking Man created a unique culture. He walked on his feet, lived in groups, and survived by hunting. The group used rough stone tools and made fire for warmth and cooking.

In 1987, the site was listed as one of the UNESCO world cultural heritage sites.

Tel: (010) 6930-1278

Admission: 20 yuan

Buses: Take bus 917 from Tianqiao coach station at 32 Beiwei Road, Xuanwu District (北京市宣武区北纬路32号北京天桥长途汽车站), then change at Fangshan to a special-line bus to Zhoukoudian. It takes about 2 hours from downtown Beijing to the Peking Man Site by bus.

Shidu scenic spot

Shidu, literally meaning 10 ferries, is the only natural scenic spot in North China with both karst rock forests and river valley topography.

The varied terrain, winding river courses, and rolling hills make the location distinctive.

Along the Juma River, the valleys feature gorgeous and typical limestone formations. In the northeastern part of Shidu, the Dashi River has created dozens of karst caves.

Tel: (010) 6134-0841

Buses: Bus 917 or tourist bus 10 from Tianqiao

Admission: 20 yuan

Stone Flower Cave

Shihua Cave, meaning Stone Flower Cave, is a huge karst formation resembling a mansion. Scientists have explored seven layers and nearly 5,000 meters of tunnels in the cave.

The mammoth limestone cave developed 70 million years ago, as the floor of the sea became land, forming mountains by a folding and faulting of the earth’s crust.

Limestone then gradually eroded to create the unique landscape of stalactites, stalagmites and stone waterfalls in Stone Flower Cave.

Tel: (010) 6031-2170

Buses: Take bus 917 or tourist bus 7.

Admission: 70 yuan

Silver Fox Cave

Not far from Stone Flower Cave is Yinhu Cave, or Silver Fox Cave, the largest karst cave group in northern China. It was discovered by local farmers in 1991. The cave is so long that visitors can travel by boat within the cave. Its name comes from a two-meter long crystal white stalactite resembling a silver fox.

The cave contains eight major halls, with a year-round temperature of 12 to 13 degrees Celsius.

Tel: (010) 6036-3236

Bus: Bus 917.

Admission: 41 yuan

Yunju Temple

Yunju Temple is a Buddhist shrine with a 1,300-year history.

The temple has seven pagodas from the Tang Dynasty (618-907), five from the Liao Dynasty (916-1125), and other pagodas from the Ming and Qing dynasties. The Buddhist relic Sakyamuni’s Bone is safeguarded in the temple’s Leiyin Cave.

Starting in the Sui Dynasty (581-618) and continuing for 1,039 years, monks engraved scriptures on rocks inside the Leiyin Cave.

Along with the 14,278 carved stone sutras, the Yunju Temple’s collection of Buddhist scriptures includes thousands of volumes in paper and wood.

Tel: (010) 6138-9612

Buses: Bus 917 or tourist bus 10

Admission: 20 yuan

Where to stay:

.Beijing Sky-Line Resort

北京天湖国际会议中心

The only four-star hotel in the district; double rooms start at 680 yuan.

Tel: (010) 6032-2266

Add: 150 Xiao Yuan Shang Cun, Qinglonghu Town, Fangshan District (房山区青龙湖镇小苑上村)

Web site:

www.sky-lineresort.com