仙栖洞

Xianqidong - Xing Xi Dong - Xianqi Cave - Beijing Immortal Dwelling Cave

Useful Information

Location:	Shidu Scenic Spot (10 Ferries), southwest part of Fangshan District. About 60 km from Beijing. (39.657811, 115.746630)
Open:	NOV to MAR daily 8:30-16:30. APR to OCT daily 8-18. [2022]
Fee:	Adults CNY 60, Children (6-17) CNY 35, Children (<1.2 m) free, Seniors CNY 35. [2022]
Classification:	Karst Cave Xianren Dong Immortals
Light:	Incandescent Coloured Light
Dimension:	L=1,958 m, VR=72 m, T=18 °C.
Guided tours:	D=1 h, Lwater=450 m.
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:
Address:	Xianqidong, Dongguanshang Village, Shangfang Town of Fangshan District, Beijing 102409, Tel: +86-10-6133-8228, Tel: +86-10-6133-6228, Tel: +86-10-6133-6292. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1998	cave discovered.
1998	Xianqidong scenic spot created.
AUG-1999	Xianqi Cave opened as a show cave.
2000	rated as a national 2A-level scenic spot.
2001	rated a capital civilization tourist attraction.
2002	explored during the French Gremlin’s 2002 expedition.
2008	rated as a national 3A scenic spot and a municipal-level folk tourism village.
01-APR-2021	Beijing Xianqi Cave Scenic Spot officially opened to the public.

Description

仙栖洞 (Xianqidong, Cave Where The Immortals Live) is a cave system with more than 4 km of passages and three different levels. The cave was opened by locals, who were very enthusiastic, but they were not able to decide on a certain name. The possible names were 石花宫 (Shíhuā gōng, Stone Flower Palace), 深逐洞 (shēn zhú dòng, Abyss), 苍穹洞 (cāngqióng dòng, Sky Cave), or 一洞天 (yī dòngtiān, A Cave in the Sky). One day a monk visited the cave and was very enthusiastic, and he dubbed the cave the place where the immortals live, and so it was named 仙栖洞, Xianqui Dong, the cave where the immortals live. Due to mysterious translation errors the official translation is Fairy Dwelling Cave though. It seems immortals are mystic beings which are translated as fairies.

The cave has three levels, the lowest is active, with a cave river. A section of 500 m of the cave tour is by boat, the boats are pulled by "ferrymen".