Benxi Water Caves ( 本溪水洞 Běnxī shuǐ dòng )
Address: 63 KM southeast of Shenyang
Admission Fee: Admission = 70 yuan

Benxi is located about 63 kilometers southeast of Shenyang. The city, once identified by the UN as one of the most polluted cites in the world, has cleaned up its act in the past few years. Most visitors don’t bother seeing much of the city anyway. Instead they head straight to the main attraction…the water caves. The caves are said to have the “world’s longest underground river that is navigable by boat.” 

  

The caves are pretty interesting, and worth taking a half-day to visit. The tour consists of an hour-long boat ride through the caves, which are lit up with colored lights and have signs displaying the names of various rock formations. Interestingly, the caves stay at about the same temperature year-round. This means that in the summer the staff will provide visitors with jackets, because the caves feel quite cold. Yet in the winter it may be necessary to peel off a few layers! 

 

Entrance Tickets:  70 yuan/person

The price of admission includes the boat tour and jacket rental. 

    

How to get there: Benxi City is about one hour from Shenyang by bus. The most convenient way to get there is to leave from the South Station Long Distance Bus Station. Buy tickets in the station itself, or hop on one of the buses departing regularly from Min Zhu Lu (民主路) right in front of the South Train Station. The bus costs 10 yuan one-way. Upon arriving in Benxi, there will be plenty of taxis and buses waiting to take visitors to the caves.  There are also buses leaving from the Wu Ai Market Bus Station, and trains leaving from the south train station.  If you leave Shenyang early in the morning, you should be able to return in the early afternoon.