The Pool & Zhe Tree Temple 潭柘寺

Hours:8:00-16:00 everyday. 30 yuan ($4) admission. Tourists usually stay 90 one hour here.

【Interest】Palaces spread up in the mountains

The temple is located in the southwest of Beijing, 58 km away from the city center. Its name originated from the pool and the Zhe tree in front of the temple. The temple boasts its long history of 1700 years. There was no city of Beijing yet when the Temple was first built. It is also the largest Buddhist temple in the northern part of China. In the period of great prosperity, 3000 monks lived in the temple. There are five major palaces in the temple for different usage.

The Stone Flower Cave 石花洞

Hours:8:00-16:00 everyday. 40 yuan ($5) admission. Tourists usually stay 1.5 hours here.

【Interest】A underground cave with interesting stalactite.

It is 55 km (35 miles) from Beijing. The cave was discovered by a monk in 1446. The mountains around Beijing area rose 70,000,000 years ago. For many centuries, the carbonates were eroded gradually and finally shaped the caves. This cave is 1362 meters long. The temperature in the cave maintains at 13 degree Celsius all year long. The stalactites are shaped differently such as bamboo shoots, animals, figures, pagodas, waterfalls and pearls. Locals name the stones by what they look like.