Baoding

Baoding (保定; Bǎodìng) is a city in Hebei in north China.

Understand

Location in China

Baoding is one of China's largest cities, with over 11 million inhabitants within its boundaries, and over 3 million in its inner metro area.

Historically the city was destroyed by the Mongols in the 13th century, but then subsequently rebuilt under the Yuan dynasty soon after when it acquired its modern name. Later it became a significant cultural centre through the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

Get in

Backstreet in Baoding

By plane

Beijing Capital Airport is a good option, from where you can take an Inter-Provincial Bus that will take about 3 hours.

By train

New Railway Station

🌍 Baoding Station

Get around

Unlike many large Chinese cities, Baoding doesn't actually have a metro system.

See

Imperial tombs

• 🌍 Western Qing tombs (清西陵). An UNESCO World Heritage Site. In addition to the tombs in Baoding itself, there are more of them in the surrounding Yi county.  

Tangut dharani pillars

• 🌍 Tangut dharani pillars (西夏文石幢). The Western Xia empire was destroyed by the Mongols in the 14th Century, however a community of Tangut people from the Western Xia erected these pillars far away in Baoding much later in the 16th century. It is one of the few examples of the complex Tangut script found outside of Western China. (updated Dec 2016)
• 🌍 Baiyang Lake (白洋淀). China's largest natural lake offers peaceful water scenes and expansive lotus gardens. Boats are available for small groups, and some islands on the lake have restaurants that cook with local ingredients and hotels for overnight stays. (updated Dec 2016)

Do

• 🌍 Yesanpo National Park (野三坡). Yesanpo is a burgeoning tourist area, located in Hebei province Laishui County, the total area of 600square kilometers, is a national key scenic area, scenic natural landscape, trees flowers and trees mainly springs cave. Here only 100 kilometers away from Beijing, is in recent years capital rural travel outside of the heat.  

Buy

Baoding Balls

Baoding Balls are famous for helping to relax your hands.

Eat

Donkey burgers

Baoding is famous for Donkey Burgers (驴肉火烧), which are literally made with donkey meat.

Drink

Sleep

Connect

Go next

• Beijing - the nation's capital city
• Shijiazhuang is the provincial capital to the south