Overview
Hebei ("north of the river") is a province surrounding Beijing and Tianjin on three sides. It is China's bridge between the North China Plain and the Inner Mongolian plateau, and hosts part of the Great Wall.
Province
Hebei
河北省 · Capital: 石家庄
Map & Prefectures
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Prefecture-level cities
Shijiazhuang石家庄Zhangjiakou张家口Chengde承德Tangshan唐山Baoding保定Langfang廊坊Handan邯郸Xingtai邢台Cangzhou沧州Qinhuangdao秦皇岛Hengshui衡水
Read articles about Hebei → About Hebei
Geography
Hebei spans coastal plains along the Bohai Sea, the Taihang Mountains to the west and the Yan Mountains to the north. It completely encircles Beijing and Tianjin and includes the eastern terminus of the Great Wall at Shanhaiguan.
History
The province has been central to Chinese civilization for over 5,000 years, with the prehistoric sites of Xibaipo and the early states of the Zhou era. It was the heartland of several Northern dynasties and a strategic frontier for successive capitals.
Culture
Hebei is renowned for folk performing arts, including Wuqiao acrobatics, Cangzhou martial arts and Pingju opera. Handicrafts such as Quyang stone carving and Tangshan porcelain are nationally celebrated.
Cuisine
Hebei cuisine (Jizhi cai) features savory braised dishes, donkey meat sandwiches (donkey burger of Hejian), and the sweet-and-sour carp of Baoding. It favors wheat, millet and freshwater fish.
Highlights
Highlights include Chengde Mountain Resort (a Qing summer palace), the Eastern Qing Tombs, the old town of Zhengding, and the Shanhaiguan "First Pass Under Heaven".