The "Underground Crystal Palace" Shihuadong Cave hidden in Fangshan, with millennium-old glowing stalactites, is as beautiful as a dream thief's fantasy

You think Beijing only has the Great Wall and hutongs? Then you definitely haven't been to Fangshan·Shihuadong Cave—this world-class karst cave wonder buried 130 meters underground is known as the "Northern China Karst Museum." Inside the cave are stone flowers, stone shields, stone waterfalls, moon milk stones formed over hundreds of millions of years... When the lights shine, it looks like stars falling to earth. Every shot looks like a sci-fi blockbuster, and netizens exclaim: "This is not a landscape that should exist on Earth; it’s like stepping into Pandora from Avatar!" 📍 Shihuadong Cave is located in Hebei Town, Fangshan District, Beijing. It formed about 500 million years ago in the Middle Ordovician limestone layer. Currently, eight cave levels have been explored, with the first four open to the public. The total length exceeds 2.5 kilometers, with a constant temperature of 13°C, warm in winter and cool in summer, truly a "natural air-conditioned room in the Beijing suburbs"!
🚗 How to get there? Suitable for parent-child/family/study trips. **Navigate to "Beijing Shihuadong Scenic Area." It’s about a 1.5-hour drive from the city (G4 Jinggang’ao → Yandong Road → X009). The road conditions are good, and you can stop by Yinhudong or Shangfang Mountain along the way. ✅ Subway users can take the Fangshan Line to Suzhuang Station, then transfer to bus F25 for a direct ride.
💎 Five stunning wonders inside the cave, each scene will refresh your perception! ✅ "Yaochi Stone Lotus"—the world's largest moon milk stone deposit group. The milky white cheese-like deposits look like frozen waves. Only three such sites exist worldwide, and this is the largest and best-preserved! Scientists still cannot fully explain its formation, adding to its mystery! ✅ "Dragon Palace Harp" stone shield group. Layers of stone shields hang like a giant harp from the cave ceiling. Tapping them produces a slight echo. Folk legend says "the Dragon King plays music here." ✅ "Silver Waterfall" stone curtain. A 15-meter-high stalactite waterfall pours from the cave ceiling. Under the lights, it looks like a frozen Milky Way, delivering a full visual impact! ✅ "Double-colored Stalagmite" wonder. A single stalagmite shows red and white dual-color patterns due to mineral infiltration differences, unique in the country! ✅ Dreamlike sea of stone flowers. Countless tiny stone flowers radiate outward, resembling snowflakes, coral, or alien crystals, shimmering faintly as if you are deep in the universe.
📌 Practical tips: Tickets: 70 RMB for adults, half price for students/seniors, free for children under 1.2 meters - Opening hours: 8:00–16:30 (extended in peak season) - The entire cave is on foot; wear non-slip shoes as some steps are steep - Constant temperature but humid, feels cool; elderly and children are advised to bring a light jacket - Do not touch the stalactites! Each centimeter of growth takes hundreds of years! ---
📸 Photography tips: - Turn on "night mode" + tripod (a phone stand works) - Wear black clothes for better shots, avoid reflective interference - Follow the guide’s explanation; key spots will have stops for detailed commentary

Post by Davis Olivia$3 | Oct 27, 2025