CITY · HEBEI
Shijiazhuang
石家庄 · Shíjiāzhuāng
Overview
Capital of Hebei, an hour from Beijing on the HSR. Modern industrial city with limited tourism but as a launchpad for Mt Cangyan and Zhengding Old Town.
Shijiazhuang is a working modern provincial capital that grew from a railway-junction village. Tourist appeal is limited inside the city; nearby Zhengding Old Town (with four Tang and Song-dynasty pagodas) and Mt Cangyan (the temple in the cliff at the centre of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon's bridge scene) are the day-trip rewards.
What to see
- Zhengding Old Town
- Mt Cangyan
- Hebei Museum
What to eat
- Hebei flatbread
- Donkey meat sandwich (lurou huoshao)
Getting there
Shijiazhuang Zhengding (SJW) airport. Shijiazhuang HSR: Beijing 1h 15m.
Getting around
Metro and bus.
Where to stay
Central area near the railway station.
We list neighbourhoods, not specific hotels — we don't endorse hotels.
When to go
April–May, September–October.
Budget guide (CNY per day)
| Backpacker | ¥200 |
| Mid-range | ¥440 |
| Comfortable | ¥1000 |
Food of Northern China
- Beijing Lamb Hot Pot涮羊肉
Beijing-Mongolian style hot pot — clear broth, thinly-sliced lamb, sesame-paste dipping sauce.
- Boiled Dumplings (Shuijiao)水饺
Wheat-wrapper dumplings filled with pork-and-cabbage, lamb-and-leek, or vegetable, boiled and served with vinegar.
- Cat's Ear Noodles猫耳朵
Small thumbnail-pinched Shanxi pasta, shaped like cat's ears. Stir-fried with vegetables or in soup.
- Goubuli Baozi狗不理包子
Tianjin's signature steamed pork buns. The original house, founded 1858, is still operating.
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