Holiday in Shijiazhuang

About Shijiazhuang

Shijiazhuang is the capital of Hebei Province and is located about 280 km southwest of Beijing. Although the city itself is relatively modern, it serves as a starting point for some of the most impressive historical sites in northern China, foremost among them the ancient city of Zhengding and Cangyan Mountain. Zhengding, just 15 km north of Shijiazhuang, is one of the best-preserved ancient cities in China with nine significant temples from various dynasties. The Longxing Temple (Longxing Si) houses a 21-meter tall bronze Guanyin statue with 42 arms — one of the largest and oldest bronze statues in China. The ancient city wall and the four historical pagodas make Zhengding a vibrant open-air museum. Cangyan Mountain (Cangyan Shan), about 70 km southwest, is famous for the Bridge Temple (Qiao Lou Dian): A temple built on a natural stone bridge between two mountain cliffs — a breathtaking masterpiece that also served as a filming location for the movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The Zhaozhou Bridge (Anji Qiao), about 40 km southeast, is the oldest surviving segmental arch bridge in the world. It was built around 605 AD during the Sui Dynasty and is a masterpiece of engineering that has withstood earthquakes and floods for 1,400 years. Hebei Province is also known for its martial arts tradition: Shijiazhuang is located in the heart of the northern Chinese Wushu region. The Baizushan Mountain west of the city offers spectacular hikes through gorges with glass cliff skywalks and waterfalls.