Pigeon Hall (Zhoukoudian Peking Man Site) (周口店遗址鸽子堂)

The short answer: Pigeon Hall (鸽子堂) is a limestone cave that forms part of the 'Peking Man Cave' (猿人洞) at the Zhoukoudian Peking Man Site, an UNESCO World Heritage site in Fangshan District. It got its name from the wild pigeons that used to roost inside; its north face is limestone while the roof and south wall are fossil-bearing breccia. In 2005, reinforcement work on the east wall exposed a several-metre-deep cavity yielding 100+ fossil fragments of thick-jawed deer and sika deer that lived at the same time as Peking Man, including a possibly worked 'bone tool'.

At a glance

Where it is: 房山区周口店大街1号, Fangshan District (site address); Pigeon Hall is inside the遗址区
How long to allow: 2–3 hours
Ticket & access: Site ticket ¥30 adult / ¥15 concessions (full-time undergrads, military); under-18s and 60+ free (by policy). Hours per Visit Beijing: 9:00–16:30 (Apr 1–Oct 10, tickets

What it is

Pigeon Hall (鸽子堂) is a limestone cave that forms part of the 'Peking Man Cave' (猿人洞) at the Zhoukoudian Peking Man Site, an UNESCO World Heritage site in Fangshan District. It got its name from the wild pigeons that used to roost inside; its north face is limestone while the roof and south wall are fossil-bearing breccia. In 2005, reinforcement work on the east wall exposed a several-metre-deep cavity yielding 100+ fossil fragments of thick-jawed deer and sika deer that lived at the same time as Peking Man, including a possibly worked 'bone tool'.

Why it's worth the stop

Part of the UNESCO-listed Peking Man Site (50万年前北京猿人)
Named for pigeons that once roosted in the cave
2005 fossil finds of giant/sika deer in the east wall
On the standard site trail: 猿人洞 → 鸽子堂 → 第15地点 → 山顶洞

Getting there

From Tianqiao take bus 832 (ex-917) to Liangxiang Beiguan, change to 38路 to 周口店遗址; or bus 917 Zhangfang branch to 周口店遗址.

Tickets and opening hours

Site ticket ¥30 adult / ¥15 concessions (full-time undergrads, military); under-18s and 60+ free (by policy). Hours per Visit Beijing: 9:00–16:30 (Apr 1–Oct 10, tickets stop 16:00, closes 16:30); 9:00–16:00 (Oct 11–Mar 31). (An older listing gave 8:30–16:30 in peak season — check on the day.)

Practical details

Where it is: 房山区周口店大街1号, Fangshan District (site address); Pigeon Hall is inside the遗址区
How long to allow: 2–3 hours
Walk the full loop (猿人洞→鸽子堂→山顶洞→museum) so you see the site, not just the museum.
Bring ID for concession/free-entry policies (students, under-18s, over-60s).