On 24 May 2024, I took a train fromZhengzhou East Station to Handan East Station (0853/0937). I just thought, welllet me visit some places on my way back to Beijing and Handan seemed a goodplace to visit with a long history.

Handan is a prefecture-level city under thejurisdiction of Hebei Province, located in the southern part of Hebei Province.It is an important industrial base and a famous national historical andcultural city. Handan has a long history with a history of more than 3,000years of city construction, and it is one of the important birthplaces ofChinese civilization. It was once the capital of the State of Zhao, leavingbehind many cultural heritages and historical sites, such as the GuangfuAncient City and the Wu’s Great Courtyard.

Handan is known as the "City of Idiomsand Allusions" in China. We all know the idiom "imitating others inHandan(邯郸) and losing ones own gait" (literallymeans "learning to walk in Handan and forgetting how to walkoneself"), but I didnt expect that so many other idioms also originatedfrom Handan.

Upon arrival at Handan East, I took a busand then changed to another one that goes to Guangfu Ancient City. The trip wasabout an hour. Again, like other Chinese cities, the streets are green.

Handan Guangfu Ancient City, also known asYongnian City, is located on the northeast side of Handan City, Hebei Province,about 20 kilometers away from the urban area of Handan. It is an ancient citywith a history of over 2600 years, which was originally built during the Springand Autumn period as the Quliang City of the State of Jin. The ancient city islocated in the central part of Yongnian Depression on the banks of the FuyangRiver, making it the only dryland water city in northern China.

The ancient city is surrounded by a moatthat is 5 kilometers long and 100 meters wide. The water in Yongnian Depressionis perennial, and together with the lush reeds and fish and shrimp, it forms aharmonious picture.

The city wall of Guangfu Ancient City is4.5 kilometers long, and the area inside the city is 1.5 square kilometers.Visitors can walk on the ancient city wall and overlook the surrounding moatand the scenery of the city.

The traditional architectural style in theancient city is well preserved, with most houses featuring a single floor and ayard adorned with gray tiles. It feels as though they have stood this way formany years.

Then I left the wall to take a walk in thecity.

I visited the The Guangfu Chenghuang Templewhich was built for the purpose of worshipping and offering sacrifices to theTown God (Chenghuang Shen). It is a small one, originally built more than 600hundred years ago. It is interesting that there are several shrines/altarsconducting worship services at the same time.

The Guangping Prefecture Office wasoriginally built in the 8th year of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty (1375)and was reconstructed at its original site in 2012, opening to the public in2018. It is one of the large and well-preserved ancient yamens (governmentoffices) and is worth a visit.

It was the first time I learned that thereis a Goddess who protects officials and blesses them with a smooth andprosperous official career, and she is worshipped in a hall located in thebackyard of the office yard.

After coming out of the Office, I enjoyedthe local snacks: Soft Crispy Fish(all bones can be eaten), Zeng Pork Elbow,and Shaobing(baked pancake). I like Shaobing best. It is very fragrant, soft,and hot.

Then I visited the Wu’s Great Courtyard,also known as Wu Ruqings Former Residence. Constructed during the Daoguangperiod of the Qing Dynasty (1821-1824), it is a south-facing architecturalcomplex that spans approximately 11,300 square meters. Its layout featuressouthern, northern, and central axes, encompassing three main courtyards alonga north-south axis and lateral courts running east-west. As a well-preservedancient architectural complex, it holds significant historical and culturalartistic value. The Former Residence is recognized as one of the key culturalheritage sites in Hebei province.

I was amazed by the many paintings anddecorations that were casually placed everywhere.

There are many shops that sell traditionalChinese costumes in the city, and I saw some people taking pictures in them.

Then it was time to say goodbye to thecity. I took the train Handan East to Shijiazhuang (17:08/17:40) and was goingto stay overnight in Shijiazhuang.

It was quite a rich one-day experience inHandan, and I recommended it to my friends in Zhengzhou immediately. If you arelike me, traveling from the south to Beijing and having a lot of time in China,why not take a stop here?

Yours Truly

Angie Guo - Charmission Travel