Longqing Gorge, Beijing

What is Longqing Gorge?

Longqing Gorge (龙庆峡, Longqingxia) is a canyon about 7 km long in the Yanqing hills, north-west Beijing. Between 1973 and 1981 a dam went up at its mouth and the Gucheng Reservoir filled the valley floor. The result is a narrow, fjord-like stretch of green water between near-vertical rock walls.

The point of coming is the boat ride: 15–20 minutes on the water between the cliffs, from the pier by the dam into the gorge. To reach the water you ride a 258 m escalator built as a yellow dragon, visible from the car park. A cable car with colourful cabins crosses above the water, and temples and viewpoints sit on the slopes.

It is a scenic park with rides, not an ancient site, and it is a long way out. We'd send you here once you have done the Great Wall and the centre and want a day of scenery. With only two or three days in Beijing, spend them in the city and on one wall section instead.

Longqing Gorge tickets and prices

Entry is ¥40, the boat cruise ¥100, and a combined ticket ¥140, according to Beijing Bendibao and Visit Beijing. We could not find an official price list for the current season, so prices are marked as verifying. The cable car is ¥68 return. Children under 1.2 m go free; ages 6–18 and over-60s pay half with ID.

Tickets are sold on the WeChat accounts 龙庆峡风景区 and 北京龙庆峡 and on major Chinese platforms; you need your passport to buy and to enter. Unofficially the ticket office on site also sells. One Visit Beijing promotion priced entry at ¥10 — that was a temporary deal for guesthouse guests.

Payment: foreign Visa and Mastercard work once linked to Alipay or WeChat Pay, which most foreign visitors set up before the trip. Carry some cash yuan in ¥10–50 notes as a backup — this is far from the city and card machines are not guaranteed.

Longqing Gorge Ice Lantern Festival

In winter the gorge becomes an ice city: ice palaces, sculptures and light shows by the frozen reservoir, plus a Glacier Canyon with ice slides and games. The festival has run since 1987; The Beijing News calls it the longest-running ice show in northern China. Per the Beijing government portal, it opens around 15 January and runs to late February or early March.

The ice area is open 10:00–22:00, last entry 21:30; the Glacier Canyon closes at 16:00. The lights are the highlight, so arrive for sunset and plan a taxi back. The official festival price is ¥140, the Glacier Canyon ¥80; early-bird tickets last season were ¥108, or ¥169 with the canyon.

Yanqing is colder than central Beijing — dress for a winter evening in the hills. On Chinese New Year's Eve the festival closes early, around 18:00.

What to see at Longqing Gorge

• The dam and dragon escalator — a covered yellow escalator 258 m long that climbs 90 m to the top of the dam. We could not confirm it is running now, so be ready to walk up.
• The boat cruise — 15–20 minutes from the pier by the dam between sheer walls. This is the reason to come in summer and autumn.
• The cable car — colourful cabins over the water to the temples on the slope, with the whole gorge below.
• Jingang Temple (金刚寺) on the summit — a Buddhist temple founded in 1065 per English Wikipedia, today rebuilt.
• Jade Emperor Peak (玉皇顶) — the high point above the gorge, about 990 m; unofficially around 90 minutes up on foot.
• Bungee, zip line, slide and Baihua Cave — per Visit Beijing these were closed last season. Check on WeChat before going for them.

Is Longqing Gorge worth it?

Yes, as a second day trip once the Great Wall is done. The scenery is lovely but not unique in China, and the journey takes about as long as the visit. If you can only pick one day out of Beijing, choose Badaling or Mutianyu.

Best months are September and October, when the slopes turn gold and crowds thin. July and August are cooler than the city but busy at weekends; skip the May Day and National Day holidays. In winter, go only for the festival, on a weekday evening. Between mid-November and mid-January, don't go at all — it is closed.

The gorge and Badaling are both in Yanqing, so with a car you can combine them in a day.

Longqing Gorge vs the Great Wall: distance and effort

Longqing Gorge data from Visit Beijing, Beijing Bendibao and the Beijing government portal; other sites from their YesGo pages.

Longqing Gorge tour from Beijing

This is one of the few trips out of Beijing where a driver or guide makes a real difference: there is no direct transport, few trains to Yanqing, and an evening taxi back has to be found in the suburbs. Tours often pair the gorge with Badaling.

Going independently is fine if you are happy with a train plus taxi and have booked your return train in advance.

Beijing by the water: compare and choose

Waterside places in Beijing scored by YesGo. Tap a column heading to sort.

How to do it right

• In summer, set off early: last entry is about 16:30, and the boat plus the climb won't fit into an hour.
• Book your return train from Yanqing in advance — there are few, and they sell out at weekends.
• Buy the entry-plus-boat ticket: without the boat you barely see the gorge.
• For the festival, arrive at dusk — the lights come on after dark, and by day the ice looks plain.
• Show 龙庆峡 in characters to taxi drivers and on the bus — few people out here read pinyin.
• Buy food and water in Yanqing; the choice at the gate is limited.

Questions