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 == 1 Shijiazhuang - Provincial capital 2 Chengde - Hebei's best known attraction, the Mountain Resort, a vast palace and garden used by Qing emperors during the summer 3 Qinhuangdao - Port city at the eastern end of the Great Wall 4 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 5 Tangshan - Steelmaking city that alone produces more steel than the United States 6 Xiong'an New Area - Eco-friendly city under construction for relocation of non-core government offices and personnel from Beijing, built around Baiyangdian Lake 7 Baoding - Historic capital of Hebei Dingzhou - Tallest surviving pre-modern pagoda in China rises over the small city 8 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 9 Hengshui - Industrial city known for fine handicrafts including glass bodied painted enamel and inside painted snuff bottles 10 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 – Qinhuangdao’s main seaside resort areas, heavily visited in summer by domestic tourists from Beijing and surrounding regions. Beidaihe is the more established and busy resort district, popular with family-oriented and budget tourism. Nandaihe is generally quieter and more recently developed, with newer coastal resort communities and some areas associated with cultural and artistic developments such as Aranya. 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 is well connected by high-speed rail, with most cities reachable by bullet train from Beijing or Tianjin. Six routes from the national "Eight Vertical and Eight Horizontal" network pass through the province, and a growing web of intercity lines fills in the gaps. ==== National lines ==== Beijing–Guangzhou–Shenzhen–Hong Kong High-Speed Railway: The most useful line for visitors to Hebei, running south from Beijing West Station through the heart of the province. Stops include Zhuozhou, Gaobeidian, Baoding, Dingzhou, Zhengding Airport, Shijiazhuang, Gaoyi, Xingtai, and Handan. Beijing–Shanghai High-Speed Railway: Heads southeast from Beijing South Station, stopping at Langfang and Cangzhou before continuing to Shanghai. Coastal Corridor: Runs along the coast from Tianjin through Tangshan, Luanhe, Beidaihe, and Qinhuangdao (the most convenient way to reach Hebei's beach resorts). Beijing–Harbin High-Speed Railway: The route into northern Hebei, serving Xinglong County, Chengde County, urban Chengde, and Pingquan County. Qingdao–Yinchuan Corridor: The main east–west line, crossing central Hebei via Shijiazhuang, Gaocheng, Xinji, Hengshui, and Jing County. Beijing–Kunming High-Speed Railway (under construction): A sixth corridor is being built through Xiong'an and Baoding, eventually linking Hebei to Yunnan province. ==== Intercity lines ==== Several intercity high-speed lines offer more frequent stops and shorter hops between Hebei and the capital region: Beijing–Zhangjiakou intercity railway: The route into northwest Hebei, passing through Huailai County and multiple districts of Zhangjiakou. A branch line serves the ski resort area of Chongli, which hosted events during the 2022 Winter Olympics. Beijing–Tangshan intercity railway: A fast link between Beijing (departing from Beijing Tongzhou station since 2025) and Tangshan. Beijing–Xiong'an intercity railway: Runs from Beijing West Station via Beijing Daxing International Airport to Xiong'an, taking around 50 minutes end to end. Huairou–Daxing Airport intercity railway: Opened in December 2024, this newer line has a stop at Langfang in Hebei. The two intercity lines running between Beijing and Tianjin also make stops in Langfang and the Sanhe exclave, making them useful for day trips from either city. === 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 == Air pollution can be significant. In 2025, only Xingtai appeared among the 30 most polluted cities in China in IQAir’s rankings. On days with elevated pollution, consider wearing a PM2.5-rated mask to reduce exposure. == 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