Hikers see the light at Yunshui Caves

The glitzy lights placed inside Yunshui Cave provide an unusual ambience.

An outing to Yunshui Caves gets the best results when looked at as a bit of a package deal.

Visitors might easily ask for their money back if, after almost three hours on the road, they discover the hourlong hike required to just see the caves.

However, putting aside the energy expended on the trip, the scenery of the drive and the challenging, beautiful hike is really a rewarding day out.

Yunshui Caves, or Cloud Water Caves, are located high up in Shangfang Mountain, in the Fangshan National Forest Park in Fangshan district, about 70 kilometers south of Beijing's CBD.

The park spans 340 hectares and, during the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25-220), Shangfang Mountain became an area of Buddhist activity.

Today, 72 ancient convents can be found throughout the mountain's 12 peaks.

Rare and elderly trees, such as ginko and cyprus, are also found throughout the area.

Getting there is a journey, especially if you take the public transport route. The first leg on the 917 express gives a very clear idea of how expansive Beijing's urban area is, but it's not until the final 10 kilometers that a change of scenery really kicks in.

As the bus drives across farmland, cornfields stretch out in every direction. Goats are herded along roadsides and large, ripe persimmons hang from naked trees.

When the bus drops visitors off at the foot of the mountain, the journey ahead seems uncomfortably obvious - Shangfang Mountain, 800 meters tall, presents itself with a steep, winding path to the peak.

Well into winter, the mountain lacks its usual plush coverage. Subdued colors and the starkness of the landscape, however, give it another kind of beauty. The air is fresh and on bright blue-sky days, the contrast of cool gray and blue is stunning.

The hike to the top is definitely tricky and will get the heart pumping. Switching back and forth up through a narrow gorge, the track, which offers an occasional resting point, is a mostly unrelenting climb.

Finally, at the top, trekkers will discover Bei'anli Temple, a small temple from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) at which monks still pray, reside and conduct tours of the caves.

Yunshui Caves is a series of seven caves and part of a return trip of 1,500 meters into the mountain. The temperature inside stays a comfortable 13 C all year round and with the constant drip of water from overhead, the ground underfoot is slick.

The largest cave reaches a massive 60 meters high and expands over 2,000 square meters at its base. One of the caves also contains the largest stalagmite in Asia, a 300,000-year-old formation reaching 38 meters in height.

Unfortunately, this is where the impression ends as it is quickly overwhelmed by kitsch "enhancements".

Yunshui Caves are short on the intricate stalactites and stalagmites more commonly seen in Guilin, but rather overloaded with man-made additions: bridges, cement lily pads, a dais of majestically-lit Buddhas, a miniature Great Wall and casino-like multi-colored lighting.

Twenty to 30 minutes is all that is required in the caves before heading back down the mountain.

A cable car has been constructed to bypass the hike altogether, but it is not always functioning. Don't be put off if it is being repaired, perhaps the greatest attraction of the caves is the view from outside.

A twisting staircase runs down the mountain against a fantastic view. [Photo/China Daily]