Tour in Hebei

Hebei province is in North China, around Beijing and Tianjin. It had been the site of countless wars for centuries because of its strategic position.

Capital city, Shijiazhuang (Village of the Shi's) is 4 hours by train south of Beijing. It is an important center of railway system. It also played an important role in China's revolutionary history. It is the burial place of the Canadian, Dr. Norman Bethune, who was honored a Chinese hero. He helped the Communist army in its fight against the Japanese in 1938 and died in 1939. He was buried in North China Revolutionary Martyr's Cemetry. In 1948, the Communist Party Central Committee had their headquarters at Xibaipo Village, 90 km from the city. Shijiazhuang is alos known for the Zhaozhou Bridge, built between A.D. 605 and 610.

The most worthwhile to visit is Chengde, 250 km NE of Beijing. It was an imperial summer resort in Qing dynasty. So you can imagine the splendid color, gorgeous building style and elaborate paintings and carvings. The Imperial Summer Resort covers an area of 5.6 million square meters. The court lived here from May to October each year. In 1860, the court fled here as Anglo-French forces approached Beijing and the emperor died here 2 years later. The resort has 9 courtyards, 11 Lama temples, beautiful gardens, pavilions and a herd of deer. Notable are the temples. They are patterned after the original temples in various provinces, such as Tibet, Jiangsu and Beijing. The Jinshanling section of the Great Wall is 110 km away.

Beidaihe is a lovely seaside resort. By 1949, 706 villas and hotels had been built. The resort stretches along 12 km of hard, golden sand sloping gently out into the Bohai Sea. The beaches are divided by rock promontories. It is a nice place for swimming and morning walks.

Qinhuangdao (the Qin Emperor's Island) is on the northeastern tip of Hebei province on the Bohai Sea. It is one of China's busiest harbor, also ice-free. The city is named after a legend about how the Qin Emperor found pills of longevity here. Visitors can walk along the waterfront and watch fishing boats, or visit shell-carving factory and the Qin Emperor's Temple.

40 km north of Beidaihe is a small town, Shanhaiguan. It is the easternmost end of the Great Wall. Here the Great Wall meets the sea.

One of the ancient capitals, Handan, is also worth visiting.