Longmenjian Canyon

Longmenjian Canyon, about 90 km from downtown Beijing, occupies an area of about 20 km and is 15 km long. The canyon zigzags among the forested mountains and is known for its grotesque stones and steep cliffs, strangely-formed peaks and caves, lush grass and crystal water.

In the canyon, the air is fresh and cool, and people will feel much refreshed there. Because the LongmenjianCanyon has steep cliffs and narrow gorges, the relative height difference ranges from 300 to 600 meters from the peaks to the canyon bottom and the steepest section of the canyons across a distance of less than four meters. It is humid all year round and often has mild amount of precipitation, leading to very lush vegetation. The content of negative oxygen ions is high, about 400-500 times higher than that in urban areas, and it is therefore a natural oxygen bar. Due to its special geographical position, temperature here is 7-8 degrees Celsius lower than that in urban areas. Even in the baking summer season, it is cool here. The roads stretch up relatively flat slopes and are thereby not overly exhausting to climb.

Longmenjian is a mostly karst (eroded limestone) landform. The erosion of rocks is slow, the frost wedging in the rock layers is stronger than the erosion effect, it is therefore called the cream of the karst in northern China. Because it is located at the edge of the Yanhecheng great fault zone, after the orogenic movement about 150 million years ago, water flow cut into and eroded the soft rocks, and the LongmenjianCanyon was gradually developed, with numerous gorges and ravines and more than 170 different waterfalls. Water in the canyon consists of quality minerals, containing several trace elements needed by the human body. The green mountains, crystal water and canyon together produce a landscape similar that of southern China and every bend of the canyon is like a watercolor painting. The canyon is nicknamed the small Guilin in western Beijing and Beijing s Small Sanxia.

Location: YanjiataiVillage, QingshuiTownship, Mentougou District, Beijing

Open Hours: 08:00 a.m. to 17:00 p.m.

Bus Routes: Bus 929

Admission: 35 yuan

Telephone: +86-10-61828024