Plan your Beijing excursions to escape the bustle and hustle of city life? The Shilinxia Scenic Area (石林峡) is a good destination out of Beijing city to touch the unique stone and rock formations in a 6-km long valley or gorge.
Shilinxia location
“Shilinxia” literally means “stone forest gorge”. The gorge is located in Diaowo Village at Huangsongyu Township of Pinggu District, 100km northeast of Beijing city proper.
Besides its official name as “Shilinxia Scenic Area”, it also has several different names such as “Jingdong Stone Forest Gorge”, “Pinggu Stone Forest Gorge” and “Jingdong Stone Canyon”.
The Shilinxia Scenic Area is only 10km to the north of Jingdong Karst Cave, both of which are part of Pinggu Huangsongyu National Geopark. Many travelers would like to put the two attractions together on a day trip.
How to get to Shilinxia
To get to the Shilinxia Scenic Area, you may take the public bus 852 from Dongzhimen Transportation Hub for Pinggu District.
Getting off Bus 852 at the bus stop of Pinggu District Hospital (平谷区医院), then you change for the local bus No.25 for the Shilinxia Scenic Area.
For self-drive, just drive along the Jingping Expressway and get off at Pinggu District and follow the road sign leading to the Shilingxia scenic Area.
Shilinxia Entry Fees
Entrance Fee for Shilinxia Scenic Area : 78 RMB
Children under 1.2 meters are free of charge
Entry fee for the glass sightseeing platform inside Shilinxia Scenic Area : 40 RMB
Cable Car (one way): 100 RMB
Opening hours: 8:30 – 17:30 (closed in winter season)
Add: 73 Diaowo Village, Huangsongyu Township, Pinggu District
北京市平谷区刁窝村73号
Enquiry: 69986123, 60987678 ( Beijing Tourist Information Center)
Complaint: 60987678
Rescue: 60987922
Shilinxia Travel Tips:
Smoking, campfires and barbecues are forbidden in the scenic area. Just follow the road sign and keep from unmarked areas.
The rocks in the Shilinxia Scenic Area is composed of marine sedimentary sandstones that dates back to 1.9 billion years ago. At that time, the canyon or the gorge was just a crystal basement consisting of metamorphic rocks.
Then like the whole area of Beijing, this area was attacked for the first time by the sea transgression in the history of geology, which lasted one billion years. As a result, the sedimentary rock like the sandstones came into being. The sandstones in the Shilinxia was formed under a coastal environment.
Virtual tour of Shilinxia
Well, follow me and enter the Shilinxia Scenic Area.
At the entrance, there is a signboard with a brief introduction to the Shilinxia Scenic Area and its 1 and half hour travel route.
To walk close to the entrance to the Shilinxia Scenic Area, you have to cross over a stone bridge leading to the final entrance.
A man-made huge rock-typed entrance carved with three big Chinese characters “石林峡” – the Shilinxia.
Once you are inside the scenic area, you have two choices to travel the 6km long valley – either walk on foot or you pay extra RMB100 to take a cable car up to the top of the Shiling Peak ( One way).
Most travelers prefer to hike along the narrow (about 3 meters wide) valley to touch the greatness of the sandstone gorge.
Walking on the rock mountain road gives you a kind of adventure.
A stream is winding down past the cracks of the rocks.
This is the Shilinxia Peak (Stone Forest Peak). The peak looks like a forest of stones, hence the name for the Shilinxia Scenic Area.
Walking along the deep valley brings much romance to the couple.
A huge rock on the cliff “Carrying Giant Rock on back”
Move on further in the gorge for a kind of adventure.
The world’s largest glass sightseeing platform is open to the public starting from May 01,2016, attracting a consistent flow of visitors.
The major Attractions in Pinggu, Beijing
1) Flying Dragon Valley
2) Bolitai Great Wall
3) Jinhai Lake
4) Pinggu Glass Sightseeing Platform
5) Jingdong Karst Cave
6) Huangsongyu Reservior
7) Diaowo Village
8) The Best Place to View Peach Flowers in Beijing
Hassle-Free Private Tour to Visit the Glass Sightseeing Platform
If you don’t want go the daunting do-it-yourself-route and prefer an organized hassle-free private tour to visit the glass sightseeing platform, no worry and we have the following options:
Beijing Family Visit Springtime Day Tour with Glass Sightseeing Platform
Beijing Family Visit Summer Day Tour with Glass Sightseeing Platform
Beijing Family Visit Autumn Day Tour with Glass sightseeing Platform
Further Readings
Top 10 Attractions in Beijing
How to Visit Forbidden City
How to Visit Temple of Heaven
How to Visit Summer Palace
How to Visit Ming Tombs
How to Visit the Great Wall of China
How to Visit Tiananmen Square
How to Visit Hutongs
How to Visit Olympic Sites
Top 10 Markets in Beijing
Top 10 Shopping Malls in Beijing
Beijing Shopping
Wangfujing Night Snack Street
Qianmen Commercial Street
Beijing Huguosi Street
Any questions, just drop a line.
How often does bus 25 run? Is the schedule different on weekday vs weekend?
How much can I expect to pay in taxi from Pinggu? How long does this leg take?
Which attraction comes first on bus 25 the Stone Forest Gorge or the Caves?
I took the 2 hr 918 bus ride on a weekday and waited over 1 hr for bus 25 and it never came. Only a small silver van with tinted windows and bus # 25 & 29 in the front window, it had 1 bench row in back. They wanted 20 rmb, they kept dropping the price when I wouldn’t get in. I didn’t feel safe to get in.
Are the real taxis in Pinggu silver with a taxi light on top?
Hello Erin,
Thanks for your time writing your questions!
These are good questions, which make us offer more accurate information for netizens who would like to visit either the Cave or the Gorge. We are pleased to answer your questions as below:
1. Pinggu District Downtown is located 76km to the northeast of the city center of Beijing.
2. The Jingdong Karst Cave (also known as the Big Karst Cave) is located on the way to the Stone Forest Gorge (Shilinxia). Both the Jingdong Karst Cave and the Stone Forest Gorge are located to the northeast of the downtown Pinggu – the Jingdong Karst Cave (17km) and the Stone Forest Gorge (25km).
3. How to get from Beijing downtown to the two attractions?
1) First take bus 852 or 918 from Beijing Dongzhimen to Pinggu downtown. It is better to take Bus 852 which runs on the Jingping highway, so it is faster the Bus 918 which runs on along the old road with more stops.
2) No matter you take bus 852 or 918, you all get off at the final stops at the Pinggu New Bus Station (平谷新车站). In the Pinggu New Bus Station, you will find the Bus 25. The bus 25 runs every half hour on weekday and 10 minutes on weekend. There are two kinds of the bus 25: 25-seat bus and 19-seat bus both in green and white.
4. About the silver van
The silver vans are fake Bus 25
5. Most all the taxis in Pinggu downtown are “black taxis” except some taxis coming to Pinggu on business. Taking a local black taxi to the Cave or the Gorge takes you about RMB 40 and RMB 50.
Not advisable to take the local black taxis!
Thanks for your questuions and good luck!
I just got back from visiting Jingdong’s Stone Forest Gorge Scenic Area and Karst Cave over the Dragon Boat Festival. Bus 852 takes 1 hr 20 min(vs 918 is 2 hr). 9rmb with card else 15 rmb. Local buses didn’t stop at the stop unless you were getting off and no one was waiting. Most bus stops not designated, but the tourist destinations had a small sign on a pole with the #25 to designate a bus stop. The local bus is 2rmb w/o card, if you have the card need to swipe when you exit to get reduced price like you do on a distance fare bus. It was about 35 min to get to the Gorge. The gorge is actually 78rmb entrance.
We visited the Cave on the way back, 80rmb entrance with additional 10rmb inside cave for boat ride and another 10rmb for further cave possibly leading back to the entrance. We didn’t pay the extra 10rmb and were directed a back exit leading to a different tourist destination between the cave and the gorge. Couldn’t find the bus stop as it’s not posted here and had to walk back to the cave entrance to get the bus.
Hello Erin,
Million thanks for your detailed information about visiting Jingdong’s Stone Forest Gorge Scenic Area and Karst Cave. Much appreciated!
I would like to know how to go from Shilinxia Scenic Area to jing dong grand canyon or vice versa.
is there a public transport between both places? if yes, how much , how long and bus travel frequency.
I would like to go to this 2 places from pinggu in a day, is it possible?
I would like to know how to go from Shilinxia Scenic Area to jing dong grand canyon or vice versa.
is there a public transport between both places? if yes how much , how long and bus travel frequency.
I would like to go to this 2 places from pinggu in a day, is it possible?
Dear Lee,
Thanks for your inquiry!
It is possible if you get up early for the day trip. Please read the article carefully, you can get the information you need. Have a nice time!
Hello,
I am planning to visit the glass platform around 12th November. Will it be open? I read somewhere it is closed in winter. Could you please let me know.
Dear Rashi,
Sorry for our delayed reply!
As far as we know, the glass sightseeing platform will be closed at the mid-November. We suggest you choose another time to visit the spot. Thanks!