The Benxi Water Caves, 26 kilometres east of the city centre, are one of the most impressive cave systems in China and one of the best reasons to visit Liaoning. An underground river carved through limestone over five million years has produced a cave of remarkable scale — nearly six kilometres of passages in total, with 2,800 metres currently open to visitors. Part of the visit is on foot through decorated chambers of stalactites and stalagmites; part is by flat-bottomed boat along the underground river, moving through chambers large enough to dwarf the boat completely.
The constant cave temperature of 12 degrees makes the experience refreshing in summer and cold enough to require a layer in winter. The 2015 AAAAA national park designation brought improved facilities, and the cave now also offers kayaking on the Taizi River above ground, a geological museum, and a "Woodstone Kingdom" display of unusual mineral formations. The cave itself is the thing, though — the boat ride through the underground river chambers is one of the more genuinely otherworldly experiences available in northeastern China.