Hebei is a coastal province in northern China that wraps around Beijing and Tianjin on three sides and meets the Bohai Sea to the east. It holds the UNESCO Chengde Mountain Resort, the eastern terminus of the Great Wall at Shanhaiguan and Laolongtou, the Beidaihe seaside resort, and the world's oldest open-spandrel stone arch bridge at Zhaozhou.
Hebei wraps around Beijing and Tianjin and opens onto the Bohai Sea, and its history spans the Warring States Zhao Kingdom capital at Handan, the Ming Great Wall's eastern anchor at Shanhaiguan, the Sui-dynasty engineering of the Zhaozhou Bridge, and the Qing dynasty's mountain summer capital at Chengde. In the 20th century, the mountain village of Xibaipo briefly served as the Chinese Communist Party's Central Committee headquarters before the founding of the People's Republic.
Historical timeline
Key moments that shaped Hebei.
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1
Zhaozhou Bridge Built
Engineer Li Chun builds the Anji Bridge (Zhaozhou Bridge) across the Xiaohe River in Zhao County, using an open-spandrel stone arch design that predates comparable European bridges by centuries.
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2
Handan as Capital of the Zhao Kingdom
During the Warring States period, Handan serves as the capital of the Zhao Kingdom, remembered today through the Congtai Terrace and the idiom "Handan xuebu" (learning to walk in Handan).
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3
Northern Qi Dynasty Cave Carving at Xiangtangshan
The Northern Qi court sponsors the carving of the North and South Xiangtangshan Grottoes near Handan, producing some of the era's finest Buddhist cave sculpture.
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4
Cangzhou Iron Lion Cast
Craftsmen cast the nearly 6-meter-tall Iron Lion at Cangzhou during the Five Dynasties period, traditionally regarded as a protector against flooding from the sea.
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5
Song-Era Rebuilding of Longxing Temple
Longxing Temple in Zhengding is substantially rebuilt under the Northern Song, including the towering bronze Guanyin housed in its Buddha Fragrance Pavilion.
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6
Ming Wall Reaches Shanhaiguan
Ming forces fortify Shanhaiguan Pass as the eastern anchor of the inland Great Wall, inscribing the gate tower with "First Pass Under Heaven."
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7
Battle of Shanhaiguan
Ming general Wu Sangui opens the pass to Qing forces, a turning point that helps the Manchu Qing dynasty establish control of China.
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8
Chengde Mountain Resort Built
The Qing court constructs its summer palace and diplomatic retreat at Chengde over nearly a century, along with the surrounding Eight Outer Temples.
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9
Eastern Qing Tombs in Use
The Qing court establishes and expands its eastern mausoleum complex at Zunhua, ultimately burying the Shunzhi, Kangxi, Qianlong and Xianfeng emperors along with Empress Dowager Cixi.
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10
Xibaipo as CCP Headquarters
The Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party operates from the village of Xibaipo in Pingshan County, directing the closing campaigns of the civil war before relocating to Beijing in 1949.
Historical eras
The chapters of Hebei's past.
Warring States Zhao Kingdom
Handan served as the capital of the Zhao Kingdom, one of the seven major Warring States powers, leaving behind sites such as the Congtai viewing terrace.
Northern Wei to Tang Buddhist Building
Buddhist patronage across the region produced cave temples such as Xiangtangshan and major monastic complexes that were later expanded under the Song, including Longxing Temple.
Ming Great Wall Frontier
Hebei's northern edge, especially Shanhaiguan, formed a heavily fortified stretch of the Ming Great Wall guarding the approach to the capital region.
Qing Imperial Summer Capital
Chengde functioned as a second political center for the Qing court, used for summer residence, hunting and receiving envoys from Mongolia, Tibet and beyond.
Modern Revolutionary Period
Xibaipo's brief role as Communist Party headquarters in 1947-1948 places Hebei at the center of the final phase of the Chinese civil war.
Historical sites
Places where Hebei's past comes alive.
Chengde Mountain Resort and Eight Outer Temples
Built 1703-1792 as the Qing court's summer palace and diplomatic retreat, this is the largest surviving imperial garden in China and, together with its surrounding temples, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Where: Chengde
Admission: ¥145 (~$22) Apr-Oct; ¥90 (~$13) Nov-Mar
Puning Temple
Built in 1755 as one of Chengde's Eight Outer Temples, it houses a monumental wooden statue of the thousand-armed Avalokitesvara, among the tallest wooden statues in the world.
Where: Chengde
Admission: ¥80 (~$12) Apr-Oct; ¥60 (~$9) Nov-Mar
Putuo Zongcheng Temple
Built 1767-1771 in imitation of Lhasa's Potala Palace, this is the largest of the Eight Outer Temples and reflects Qing efforts to cultivate ties with Tibetan Buddhist leaders.
Where: Chengde
Admission: ¥40 (~$6)
Shanhaiguan Great Wall (First Pass Under Heaven)
A Ming-dynasty fortress town and the eastern anchor of the inland Great Wall, site of the pivotal 1644 battle that opened the way for Qing forces to enter China proper.
Where: Shanhaiguan District, Qinhuangdao
Admission: ¥40 (~$6) for the gate tower
Laolongtou (Old Dragon's Head)
A Ming-dynasty fortified platform where the Great Wall extends into the Bohai Sea, the only point along the entire wall where it meets open water.
Where: Shanhaiguan District, Qinhuangdao
Admission: ¥60 (~$9)
Jiaoshan Great Wall
The first mountain peak the Ming Great Wall climbs east of Shanhaiguan, preserving a steep, restored stretch of rampart above the coastal plain.
Where: Shanhaiguan District, Qinhuangdao
Admission: ¥40 (~$6)
Zhaozhou Bridge (Anji Bridge)
Built 605-618 AD by engineer Li Chun, this is the world's oldest standing open-spandrel stone segmental arch bridge, still carrying pedestrians across the Xiaohe River.
Where: Zhao County, Shijiazhuang
Admission: ¥40 (~$6)
Longxing Temple, Zhengding
A Sui-founded, Song-rebuilt monastery whose Buddha Fragrance Pavilion houses a towering bronze statue of the thousand-armed Guanyin cast in the 10th century.
Where: Zhengding, Shijiazhuang
Admission: ¥50 (~$7)
Cangzhou Iron Lion
Cast in 953 AD during the Five Dynasties period, this nearly 6-meter cast-iron lion is the oldest and largest surviving iron sculpture in China.
Where: Cang County, Cangzhou
Admission: ¥20 (~$3)
Congtai Terrace (Wuling Congtai Park)
A rammed-earth viewing terrace attributed to King Wuling of Zhao during the Warring States period, when Handan served as the capital of the Zhao Kingdom.
Where: Handan
Admission: ¥25 (~$4) for the terrace pavilion; park grounds free
Xiangtangshan Grottoes
North and South cave-temple complexes carved mainly under the Northern Qi dynasty in the 6th century, notable for sculpted reliefs, some pieces of which now sit in overseas museum collections.
Where: Fengfeng Mining District, Handan
Admission: ¥60 (~$9) per section
Zhili Governor-General's Yamen
A 30,000-square-meter Qing-dynasty administrative complex that served as the seat of the Zhili viceroy, who governed the region including Beijing for more than 180 years.
Where: Baoding
Admission: ¥30 (~$4)
Eastern Qing Tombs
A UNESCO World Heritage mausoleum complex, the largest and best-preserved of its kind in China, holding the tombs of the Shunzhi, Kangxi, Qianlong and other Qing emperors along with Empress Dowager Cixi.
Where: Zunhua, Tangshan
Admission: ¥108 (~$16) peak season; ¥80 (~$12) off-season
Xibaipo Revolutionary Memorial Site
The mountain village that served as headquarters of the Chinese Communist Party's Central Committee from 1947 to 1948, preserved with its original meeting halls and a memorial museum.
Where: Pingshan County, Shijiazhuang
Admission: Free (valid ID required)
Museums
Curated collections that tell Hebei's story.
Hebei Museum
The province's flagship museum, holding artifacts spanning the Western Han princely tombs of Mancheng, Zhongshan Kingdom bronzework, and Yuan-dynasty blue-and-white porcelain.
Hours: 9:00 AM-5:00 PM Tuesday-Sunday (last entry 4:30 PM); closed Mondays
Admission: Free (valid ID required for entry)
Historical tours
Guided experiences that bring history to life.