Rockn' the suburbs

The Silver Fox is a 2m-long stalactite encrusted with white needles and tendrils. It is the celebrated crown jewel of Yinhu Cave but it is the fox's den, which is truely incredible.

It offers one of the many adventures that abound in Beijing's suburbs. Located 63 km south of Beijing in Fangshan district, Yinhu Cave is a Byzantine reticulum of underground passageways, stocked with some of the more peculiar creations geological forces can sire.

Only 5km of the caverns have been explored and 4 km are open to tourists. These include 1km of subterranean streams flowing 160 m beneath the surface. Visitors can take boats along 750 m of the grotto's two rivers, but must duck below several constrictive points along the way.