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Home , Huanghua, Laishui County, Longxing Temple, Western Qing tombs

24 TUESDAY AUGUST 12, 2008 SPECIALSUPPLEMENT DAILY

Lake Baiyangdian Night view of the coastal city Ju chuanjiang

Baoding boasts culture, natural beauty By Liu Xiang Serving as Province’s Yongning varieties the highest-ranking local offi - political center for a long period Mountain in of fish, cial whose jurisdiction covered in history, is rich in the north, wild geese, today’s Hebei province, Situated between the three major cultural relics. about 15 km duck, birds and municipalities and metropolises of Beijing, Tianjin One third of the city’s territory west of Yi as well as parts of Shandong, Shanxi, and , Baoding in lies on the in County. a vast num- Henan, Inner Mongolia and ’s Hebei Province en- the west, one third on the eastern Covering ber of lotus, Liaoning. joys a good geographic location plain area and the other third on an area of ti plants, As a south-facing compound, and transportation network. the hilly land in between. about 800 and other the office’s gate, middle gate, Known as “the south gate of As a result, the city has sq km, it is plants. main halls, side halls, offi cial the capital,” the city is only 140 beautiful sceneries of green surrounded Ye San Po Valley residence and main rooms are km south of Beijing. It takes just mountains, abundant forests by over  Zhili built on a central axis. one-and-a-half hours to reach Ba- and clean lakes. 20,000 an- Provincial oding by bus from Beijing on the It has one national AAAAA cient pines. Governor’s Offi ce  Ye San Po Valley Beijing- Expressway. scenic spot, six AAAA scenic With enthralling scenery, high Located in the center of Located in , the Baoding covers an area of spots, two world geoparks, three cultural value, delicate craftwork downtown Baoding, the offi ce Ye San Po Valley is a national key 22,000 sq km, with a total national geoparks, four national and designs, it has proved to be a is a key cultural relic site under scenic spot and part of the Fang- population of 11 million. forest parks and one national key popular location for tourists from state protection. shan-Shidu World Geopark. scenic spot. home and abroad. As the nation’s only well-pre- The valley lies in a natural Major attractions in- It became a UNESCO world served provincial government reserve tucked among layers of The Western Qing Tombs clude: cultural heritage site in 2000. offi ce building of the Qing Dy- mountain ranges 118 km south- nasty, it has 105 rooms with the west of Beijing.  Western Qing Tombs  Lake Baiyangdian distinct features of a northern The valley and surrounding It is a necropolis that As a national AAAAA scenic government offi ce. regions have dramatic cliffs incorporates four royal spot, Lake Baiyangdian is a Built in the Yuan Dynasty and Karst caves. mausoleums where 78 popular tourist attraction with (1368-1644), Zhili Provincial The reserve also contains royal members are buried, peaceful water scenes and vast Governor’s Office served as a numerous sandalwood trees including four emperors of lotus gardens. government office throughout believed to be more than 1,000 the (1644- Covering a total area of 366 the Ming and Qing dynasties years old. 1911) and their empresses, sq km, it is the largest natural and the early years of the Re- In addition to beautiful scen- imperial concubines, freshwater lake in the North public of China. ery, the valley is also home to a princes and princesses, China Plain, consisting of 147 In the eighth year of the rein wide range of wildlife. as well as other royal shallow lakes and water-fi lled of EmperorSailors Yongzheng during (1730), preliminary it trainingTourists in can also visit Bud- servants. depressions. became the offi ce of the gover- dhist temples housing someJu Chuanjiang of It lies at the foot of The lake is home to multiple nor of Zhili (Hebei Province), the key fi gures in . Zhili Provincial Governor’s Offi ce

1 Shijiazhuang bridges past, present in tourism

By Cong Rong train to reach the city from Zhengding, a city noted education. It is one of the earliest, well- Beijing. for history and culture, and It was the site of the Com- preserved and largest Buddhist Though a young industrial boasting many Buddhist rel- munist Party of China’s last temples in China. Located at the foot of the Tai- city, Shijiazhuang has beauti- ics, is only eight km from headquarters in a rural area It became a national key hang Mountains and in the ful scenery and numerous Shijiazhuang. before it moved to Beijing and cultural relics site under state west of the , sites of historical and cultural In recent years, the tour- liberated the entire country. protection in 1961. Shijiazhuang is the capital importance in the surrounding ism infrastructure in the city During 10 months of their Since then, the government of Hebei province and the area. has been greatly improved, stay here, Mao Zedong and the has spent a great deal on reno- province’s political, economic Xibaipo, a small village locat- providing more comfort and Communist Party launched vating and expanding the old and cultural center. ed in Pingshan County, served convenience to the tourists. three major military cam- temple. With urban and rural popula- as the seat of the headquarters The city has now two fi ve- paigns and won decisive victo- Emperors of different dynas- tion of 9.4 million, Shijiazhuang of the Communist Party of star hotels, 19 four-star hotels ries against Kuomintang forces ties paid visit to the temple to is a city with great development China and its troops from May and 26 three-star hotels. led by Chiang Kai-shek. burn joss sticks to the Buddha 2 potential and an ideal place for 1948 to March 1949. The city received the honor The Xibaipo Memorial was statues and left behind many investment. The city boasts of 18 key of “China’s Excellent Tourism built in 1977 to commemorate poems or notes on the steles in Adjacent to Beijing and Tian- cultural relics sites under the City” in 2001. this revered site. the temple. jin, the city is a transportation state protection, with Zhaozhou Major attractions include: hub located at the intersection Bridge being the most famous  Longxing Temple  Baoduzhai scenic spot of the Beijing-, Tai- one.  Xibaipo Memorial The Longxing temple, The Baoduzhai scenic spot, yuan-Dezhou, and Shuozhou- The Zhaozhou Bridge, built in The memorial is located in also called “the Giant Buddha only 16 km from Shijiazhuang, railroads and many the year 595 in the Sui Dynasty Pingshan County, about 80 Temple” by local people, was is a hill with both historical and expressways. (581-618), is the world’s oldest km northwest of Shijiazhuang. fi rst built in 586 during the natural attractions. It takes just two hours by existing stone arch bridge. It is a national base for patriotic Sui Dynasty (581-618). With an altitude of 580 m and sheer cliffs on four sides, the hill was a strategic site in Xibaipo Memorial ancient battles and wars. It was the ancient battlefi eld where General Han Xin and his troops combated fought the troops of Xiang Yu in the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD).

 Tiangui Mountain The Tiangui Mountain is a famous mountain of Daoism, about 80 km from Shijia- zhuang. Covering an area of 60 sq km, the mountain is famous for the ancient temples, strange rocks, springs, mysterious caves and deep valleys. It became a national key scenic spot in 2002. 3

 Cangyan Mountain The mountain is 70 km 4 northwest of Shijiazhuang. With an altitude of more than 1,000 m, it has impressive wa- terfalls and springs.

1. Zhaozhou Bridge 2. Baoduzhai scenic spot 3. Cangyan Mountain 4. The Longxing Temple