Baoding

About Baoding

For much of the Qing dynasty, the governors who ruled the capital province of Zhili sat in Baoding, and the city still carries that quiet authority. Its old centre holds the best-preserved provincial governor's office in China and a classical garden with roots in the 13th century, while the surrounding countryside hides imperial tombs, Han dynasty jade and sheer mountain scenery.

Baoding grew as a gateway to Beijing on the road south, and in the early 20th century its military academy trained thousands of officers who shaped the Republican era. In Yi County to the west lie the Western Qing Tombs, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where four Qing emperors rest, and at Mancheng the cliff tombs of a Han prince yielded jade suits sewn with gold thread. The Taihang foothills offer the canyons of Yesanpo and the white marble peaks of Mount Baishi.

High-speed trains reach Baoding from Beijing in well under an hour, and the line continues south to Shijiazhuang. Before leaving, try the local donkey-meat burger.