Hebei

Hebei (河北; Héběi), a province encircling Beijing, is home to approximately 75 million residents. Situated at the heart of the expansive and flat Northern China Plain, Hebei is predominantly an industrial region overlooked by international tourists. However, it offers a wealth of sightseeing opportunities, outdoor adventures, and skiing options.

Cities

Map of Hebei

38.0425114.511 Shijiazhuang - Provincial capital
40.973889117.9322222 Chengde - Hebei's best known attraction, the Mountain Resort, a vast palace and garden used by Qing emperors during the summer
39.93978119.588123 Qinhuangdao - Port city at the eastern end of the Great Wall
40.81078114.881144 Zhangjiakou - Hot springs, Huailai Valley winegrowing region, and the country's best ski resorts in Chongli
Langfang - Middle point between Beijing and Tianjin including the exclave of Sanhe, an exburb of Beijing
39.629444118.1738895 Tangshan - Steelmaking city that alone produces more steel than the United States
39.048048115.9075336 Xiong'an New Area - Eco-friendly city under construction for relocation of non-core government offices and personnel from Beijing, built around Baiyangdian Lake
38.86712115.484527 Baoding - Historic capital of Hebei
Dingzhou - Tallest surviving pre-modern pagoda in China rises over the small city
36.61161114.489378 Handan - Home of the Xiangtangshan Grottoes, Buddhist reliefs carved into limestone cliffs
Xingtai - Industrial city with settlement history stretching back 3,500 years to the Shang Dynasty
37.73484115.685999 Hengshui - Industrial city known for fine handicrafts including glass bodied painted enamel and inside painted snuff bottles
38.30369116.8451910 Cangzhou - City of the famed 1000-year old Iron Lion statue

Other destinations

Eastern Qing Tombs and Western Qing Tombs - Discover the imperial legacy of the Qing Dynasty through visits to the Eastern and Western Qing Tombs, both located in Hebei. The Eastern Qing Tombs, near Tangshan, are known for their grand architecture and the tombs of prominent emperors such as Kangxi and Qianlong, as well as the notorious Empress Dowager Cixi. On the quieter side, the Western Qing Tombs near Baoding offer a reflective atmosphere spread over a scenic expanse, featuring the tomb of Emperor Yongzheng, as well as that of China's penultimate emperor Guangxu, the last imperial tomb to be built in China. The grave of China's last emperor Puyi is in a commercial cemetery next to the Western Qing Tombs, but it differs little from the graves of modern-day commoners.
Beidaihe and Nandaihe - Beijing's seaside resorts in the summer with the best beaches in the region. Beidaihe is bustling and popular, while Nandaihe offers a quieter and equally beautiful seaside experience
Baishi Mountain - One of north China's most picturesque mountains
Zhengding Ancient City - Walled city with over 1,000 years of history as an administrative and religious center, including towering pagoda temples.
Hongya Valley - Walk across one of the world's longest glass-bottom bridges
Bashang Grasslands - Grasslands of far north Hebei hosted the imperial hunting grounds of Mulan Weichang during the Qing Dynasty; today the scenery is a mosaic of grassland pastures, beautiful fields of yellow canola flowers, and sheep herds

Understand

Hebei means 'North of the River' due to it being located entirely North of the Yellow river. It is at the cradle of Chinese civilization with a rich archaeological record revealing thousands of years of history and still standing historical sites built over a 1,000 years ago.

The two mega-cities of Beijing and Tianjin are carved out from Hebei. The province surrounds both cities and in addition small exclave of Sanhe is wedged in between the two cities. However, with the launch of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (Jing-Jin-Ji) regional initiative, much of Hebei will be integrated with the two cities as part of a giant megalopolis bided together by high speed rail connecting major points to within an hour of each other. As part of the integration plan, the Xiongan New Area is under construction, aggregating three rural counties in Hebei to form a special zone for the relocation from Beijing of government bureaucracy, state owned enterprise employees, and research and development workforce.

Talk

The majority of people speak standard Mandarin (Putonghua). Hebei Mandarin is considered to have the most classical of dialects and accents, and is the model for the rest of China. However, each city has its own dialect which is more common amongst the working classes. English fluency is rare.

Get in

High-Speed Rail

Hebei has an extensive high-speed rail network, encompassing all major cities and many county-level cities. The network is especially robust within the Jing-Jin-Ji region, covering 2,576 km.

Five major national high-speed rail lines traverse Hebei, forming part of the "Eight Vertical and Eight Horizontal" high-speed railway network:

Beijing–Guangzhou–Shenzhen–Hong Kong High-Speed Railway: This primary line for the province departs from Beijing West Station and stops at several Hebei cities, including Zhuozhou, Gaobeidian, Baoding, Dingzhou, Zhengding Airport, Shijiazhuang, Gaoyi, Xingtai, and Handan.
Beijing–Shanghai High-Speed Railway: Departing from Beijing South Station, this line serves Langfang and Cangzhou in Hebei.
Coastal Corridor: A segment of the line connects Tianjin to the Hebei cities of Tangshan, Luanhe, Beidaihe, and finally Qinhuangdao.
Beijing–Harbin High-Speed Railway: Provides access to Chengde prefecture in northern Hebei, with stops in Xinglong County, Chengde County, urban Chengde, and Pingquan County.
Qingdao–Yinchuan Corridor: The one horizontal high-speed line, the Hebei segment covers Shijiazhuang, Gaocheng, Xinji, Hengshui, and Jing County.

In addition to these national lines, there are inter-city high-speed rail lines with more frequent stops. These lines either start from Beijing or Tianjin or run between the two cities, connecting various locations in Hebei. The Beijing–Zhangjiakou intercity railway, for example, passes through Huailai County and several districts of Zhangjiakou, with a branch line to the ski resort area of Chongli. Other inter-city lines include the Beijing–Tangshan intercity railway and the Beijing–Xiong'an intercity railway. Additionally, the two inter-city high-speed rail lines between Beijing and Tianjin have stops in the Sanhe exclave and Langfang.

Bus

Not all destinations are accessible by high-speed rail. For places without high-speed rail connections, such as certain county-level cities, tourist attractions like the Eastern Qing Tombs, and the far northwest grasslands of the province, the best travel option from Beijing is by long-distance bus. Long-distance buses from Liuliqiao (六里桥) in Beijing depart to towns in the grasslands of northwest Hebei and Inner Mongolia. Additionally, buses from Sihui (四惠) station in Beijing head to Zunhua, the location of the Eastern Qing Tombs.

By plane

The provincial capital has a large airport, Shijiazhuang Zhengding International Airport (SJW ^IATA), with a high-speed rail station connected to Beijing and several cities in Hebei. There are six other small civilian airports in Hebei that see under 1 million passengers per year, including Qinhuangdao Beidaihe Airport (BPE^IATA), Zhangjiakou Ningyuan Airport (ZQZ^IATA), Chengde Puning Airport (CDE ^IATA), Handan Airport (HDG ^IATA), Tangshan Sannuhe Airport (TVS ^IATA), and Xingtai Dalian Airport (XNT ^IATA).

Get around

High-speed train stations are present in every prefecture of Hebei. The only regional area without high-speed rail service is the sparsely populated grasslands in the far northwest. For travel to county-level cities, long-distance buses are commonly used due to either infrequent train service or the absence of a high-speed rail station in the county. Reaching more remote parts of a county may require an additional trip by bus, minibus, or shared taxi from the bus station in the county seat.

See

To the north of Beijing, Hebei offers a variety of tourism activities and sights. On the coast, Beidaihe serves as the nearest beach getaway for Beijing residents. Chengde, known for its Qing Dynasty summer resort, stands as the most historically spectacular site in the province. West of Chengde, visitors can enjoy the Chongli ski slopes and Huailai's wine-tasting vineyards. In the northwest, the grasslands, once the hunting grounds of Qing emperors, offer good views and horse riding. The Great Wall runs through this area, starting at Shanhaiguan on the coast and featuring sections in a partially or completely ruined state, providing a "wild wall" experience.

Immediately around Beijing, Hebei is an integral part of the Jing-Jin-Ji region, a development initiative aiming to transform Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei into a coordinated megalopolis. Langfang and its exclave Sanhe are already extensions of Beijing, while parts of Baoding and Tangshan prefectures serve as bedroom communities for Beijing commuters. These areas are rich in attractions like the Eastern Qing Tombs, located in Tangshan prefecture. Baoding, the historical capital of Hebei, offers a charming historical city center. Additionally, the Xiongan New Area, a newly built city, aims to relocate government jobs from Beijing and is envisioned as a high-tech ecotopia. Baiyangdian Lake, part of Xiongan, is beautiful for boat trips in the summer.

The southern half of Hebei is densely packed with industry and agriculture but also boasts rich history and archaeology. This area is home to numerous historical religious sites, including the walled city of Zhengding, towering pagoda of Dingzhou and the Xiangtangshan Buddhist cave temples in Handan. Despite its heavy industry profile, the south offers a wealth of cultural and historical experiences.

Do

Skiing - Some of the best domestic skiing facilities are in Chongli, a skiing venue for the Winter Olympics in 2022
Diving, hiking and camping on the Great Wall - Don't just go to the Great Wall for sightseeing, you can dive at the Panjiakou Reservoir at a spot where the Great Wall is submerged; take a hike exploring the "wild" or partially restored sections of the wall (e.g. Jinshanling section in Luanping County); and pitch a tent inside a watchtower to admire the sunrise over the Great Wall (e.g. Lower Chenjiapu section in Huailai County at the border with Beijing).
Hot springs - Hot spring resorts abound in the province, located in the areas of Zhangjiakou, Shijiazhuang, Baoding, etc.
Wine tasting - Huailai Valley vineyards
Gallop across the grasslands - Horses ranches in the Bashang Grasslands offer touristy, short rides over the grasslands landscape

Eat

Hebei offers a cuisine that leans heavily towards meat, favors noodles over rice, and closely resembles the culinary styles of Beijing. As a diverse province, Hebei boasts a range of regional foods, from the coastal areas to the grasslands in the northwest. In Tangshan, you'll find a rich assortment of seafood, reflecting the coastal influence. On the grasslands, restaurants often serve feasts featuring whole racks of lamb, cooked visibly for diners in traditional yurt settings. For those seeking something unique, Baoding offers donkey meat sandwiches (驴肉火烧), a local delicacy that has gained national acclaim.

Hebei is also an agricultural province, producing significant quantities of Chinese dates (jujubes), grapes, and chestnuts. Since the 2020s, cherry cultivation has increased notably. The jujubes, known for their rich antioxidants and nutrients, are readily available at local markets and grocery stores, where you can try out various types.

Drink

Hebei has emerged as a significant wine-growing province in China with two major areas of interest: Changli County, located near the ocean, and Huailai County, northwest of Beijing. Changli County has attracted substantial investment due to its moderate climate and diverse geography, featuring a mix of coastal and inland plains interspersed with small, steep hills and mountain ranges. The mountainous county of Huailai has gained recognition for its touristy vineyards by wine companies such as COFCO (Great Wall).

Hebei also has a penchant for baijiu. Each major city in the province has its own preferred brand, often distinctively packaged in uniquely shaped bottles. Travelers will find an eclectic selection of these local spirits at shops located in rest areas along the expressways.

Almond beverages enjoy widespread popularity in Hebei. These are commonly available either as almond powder or as a ready-to-drink beverage in tin cans.

Stay safe

Smog can be dangerously high. Air pollution data from Chinese cities in 2023 indicates the southern Hebei cities of Handan and Xingtai are among the top 20 most polluted cities in China. Wear a mask with a PM2.5 filter on polluted days.

Go next

Inner Mongolia – Northern neighbor where the Bashang Grasslands continues across the border from far north Hebei
Shanxi - Province to the west and south

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