Shidu refers to the beautiful gorge on the Juma River between Zhangfang and the town of Shidu, which is at the end of the gorge. Shidu means Ten Ferries, or Ten Crossings in Chinese. The name derives from the fact that before the new road and bridges were built, travelers had to cross the river ten times as they traveled through the gorge between Zhangfang and Shidu. In 1986 it was nominated as the eighth among the top 16 attractions of Beijing .
Qianhekou, 20 kilometers from Zhoukoudian, is the place where the Juma River flows out of the valley. Inside the valley there goes the snakelike Juma River. When you pass the first bridge inside the valley, you have already left the first ferry behind. And when you get to the next bend and see a bridge over the Juma River, you are at the second ferry. As the same takes place as your exploration goes on in the valley, you will passed all the 10 ferry and each may be more beautiful than the previous one. Along the Sun Avenue, you can reach the top of the Bat Peak. Going up to the Wang Fo Tai, or the Platform of Viewing the Buddha, you can take a bird’s-eye view of the eighth, ninth and tenth ferries. Here is to the north of the Village of the Tenth Ferry, which is situated in the center of the mysterious valley. Among the 10 ferries, the sixth ferry is particularly known for its bizarre rocks, clear water, and deep pond. Here was believed to be the battlefield where Mu Guiying, a legendary Chinese ancient female marshal, and her brave army defeat the invaders of the Liao Empire. The famous Sanqing Cave, known for its bizarreness, danger and tranquility, is also around here. Shisdu is often dubbed as Guilin (a place in south china which is famous for its karst landscape) in north China for perhaps it is the only scenic location in the north that features Karst land terrain and formation. Convenient location and amenities make Shidu a very hot holiday resort in suburb Beijing.
