LIFE> Travel
|
LIFE> Travel
|
|
Baoding boasts culture, natural beauty
By Liu Xiang (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-08-12 16:10
Situated between the three major metropolises of Beijing, Tianjin and Shijiazhuang, Baoding in north China's Hebei province enjoys a good geographic location and transportation network. Known as "the south gate of the capital," the city is only 140 km south of Beijing. It takes just one-and-a-half hours to reach Baoding by bus from Beijing on the Beijing-Zhuhai Expressway.
Baoding covers an area of 22,000 sq km, with a total population of 11 million. Serving as Hebei province's political center for a long period in history, Baoding is rich in cultural relics. One third of the city's territory lies on the Taihang Mountains in the west, one third on the eastern plain area and the other third on the hilly land in between. As a result, the city has beautiful sceneries of green mountains, abundant forests and clean lakes. It has one national AAAAA scenic spot, six AAAA scenic spots, two world geoparks, three national geoparks, four national forest parks and one national key scenic spot. Major attractions include: Western Qing Tombs
It is a necropolis that incorporates four royal mausoleums where 78 royal members are buried, including four emperors of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and their empresses, imperial concubines, princes and princesses, as well as other royal servants. It lies at the foot of Yongning Mountain in the north, about 15 km west of Yixian County. Covering an area of about 800 sq km, it is surrounded by over 20,000 ancient pines. With enthralling scenery, high cultural value, delicate craftwork and designs, it has proved to be a popular location for tourists from home and abroad. It became a UNESCO world cultural heritage site in 2000. Baiyangdian Lake As a national AAAAA scenic spot, Baiyangdian Lake is a popular tourist attraction with peaceful water scenes and vast lotus gardens. Covering a total area of 366 sq km, it is the largest natural freshwater lake in the north China plain, consisting of 147 shallow lakes and water-filled depressions. The lake is home to multiple varieties of fish, wild geese, duck, birds as well as a vast number of lotus, and other plants. Zhili Provincial Governor's Office
Located in the center of downtown Baoding, the office is a key cultural relic site under State protection. As the nation's only well-preserved provincial government office building of the Qing Dynasty, it has 105 rooms with the distinct features of a northern government office. Built in the Yuan Dynasty (1368-1644), Zhili Provincial Governor's Office served as a government office throughout the Ming and Qing dynasties and the early years of the Republic of China. In the eighth year of the rein of Emperor Yongzheng (1730), it became the office of the governor of Zhili (Hebei Province), the highest-ranking local official whose jurisdiction covered today's Hebei province, Beijing and Tianjin municipalities and parts of Shandong, Shanxi, Henan, Inner Mongolia and Liaoning. As a south-facing compound, the office's gate, middle gate, main halls, side halls, official residence and main rooms are built on a central axis. Yesanpo Valley Located in Laishui County, the Yesanpo Valley is a national key scenic spot and part of the Fangshan-Shidu World Geopark.
The valley lies in a natural reserve tucked among layers of mountain ranges 118 km southwest of Beijing. The valley and surrounding regions have dramatic cliffs and Karst caves. The reserve also contains numerous sandalwood trees believed to be more than 1,000 years old. In addition to beautiful scenery, the valley is also home to a wide range of wildlife. Tourists can also visit Buddhist temples housing some of the key figures in Buddhism. |
