Atlas of China
Hebei 河北Héběi
Great Wall ridges, a Qing summer retreat and the country around the capital
- Type
- Province
- Capital
- Shijiazhuang
- Featured places
- 3
- Cities and prefectures
- 11
- Listed sites
- 36910 rated 5A · 173 rated 4A · 216 national heritage
About Hebei
Hebei wraps around Beijing and Tianjin, and some of the Great Wall's most dramatic masonry follows its northern ridges, from Shanhaiguan, where the wall runs into the sea, to the watchtowers of Jinshanling. Qing emperors escaped the summer heat at Chengde, a vast walled park of lakes and pavilions surrounded by temples, some modelled on Tibetan monasteries. In the south, the temple town of Zhengding and the Zhaozhou Bridge, a stone arch about 1,400 years old, reward a detour.
Hebei at a glance
- Area
- 187,240 km²
- Population
- 74.6 million 2020
- Highest point
- Mount Xiaowutai 小五台山2,882 m
Area, population and highest point from Wikidata; the population is the latest census or official estimate there.
What to eat in Hebei
- Donkey meat burger (驴肉火烧)
- Tangshan chess-piece sesame cakes (棋子烧饼)
- Cangzhou hot pot chicken (火锅鸡)
Places to visit in Hebei
-
Chengde Mountain Resort 承德避暑山庄
The Qing emperors' summer capital, ringed by temples, some modelled on Tibet's
-
Jinshanling Great Wall 金山岭长城
A Ming ridge-top wall of 67 towers, restored at one end and wild towards Simatai
-
Shanhai Pass 山海关
Where the Ming Great Wall ends at the sea, at the 'First Pass Under Heaven'
Listed sites in Hebei
369 sites in Hebei are on the official lists, 10 of them rated 5A and 216 protected as national heritage. They are listed by city, with what each is and how to get there.
All 369 listed sites in HebeiCities and prefectures of Hebei
- Baoding 保定 City
Home of the Qing viceroys, emperors' tombs and a reed-and-lotus lake - Cangzhou 沧州 City
Iron lion, acrobats and martial arts between the Grand Canal and the sea - Chengde 承德 City
A miniature Potala, a 22-metre wooden Guanyin and an imperial garden - Handan 邯郸 City
Zhao's old capital, echoing Buddhist caves and a walled tai chi town - Hengshui 衡水 City
Lake birds, painted snuff bottles and a fiery local baijiu - Langfang 廊坊 City
Redwood furniture and a Liao pagoda on Beijing's doorstep - Qinhuangdao 秦皇岛 City
Where the Great Wall meets the sea, and a beach resort since 1898 - Shijiazhuang 石家庄 City
Bronze Guanyin, the cradle of Rinzai Zen and a stone bridge from AD 600 - Tangshan 唐山 City
Rebuilt after the 1976 earthquake, with Qing emperors' tombs in the hills - Xingtai 邢台 City
Where white Xing ware was fired, below the Taihang's sandstone canyons - Zhangjiakou 张家口 City
Olympic ski slopes, a Great Wall gate and grasslands on the Mongolian plateau
Before you go
- Visas and visa-free entry Can I visit China without a visa?
- Paying for things How do I pay for things in China without a Chinese bank account?
- Internet and apps Will Google and my other apps work in China?
- Trains and 12306 How do I book train tickets in China with a foreign passport?
- Book popular sights early Which sights in China need booking in advance, and how?
- When to go When is the best time to visit China?
On the map
Open Hebei on the illustrated map to see where its places sit, how far apart they are, and to add them to a trip.
Open Hebei on the map