Taxi
Flag fall is ¥8 for the first 3km, then ¥1.70 per kilometre thereafter; there's also a ¥1 pollution tax.
Héběi 河北
Pop 73.3 million
Shíjiāzhuāng 石家庄
%0311 / Pop 4.3 million
An archetypal Chinese city and the provincial capital of Héběi, Shíjiāzhuāng (石家庄) is a frantic, prosperous and sprawling railway-junction settlement with little sense of history. It does, however, make a comfortable base from which to explore gems such as Zhèngdìng, Cāngyán Shān and Yújiācūn.
Shíjiāzhuāng
1Sights
1Héběi Provincial MuseumD2
4Sleeping
2Holiday InnA2
3Silver Spring HotelA2
4World Trade Plaza HotelD1
5Eating
57°C湘C1
Chéngdé HuìguǎnA2
5Lerthai CenterC1
1Sights
Héběi Provincial MuseumMUSEUM
(河北省博物馆, Héběi Shěng Bówùguǎn MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Fanxi Lu, 范西路 h9am-5pm Tue-Sun, last entry 4pm)F
Wandering the cavernous halls of the provincial museum will take you deep into the multilayered realms of Chinese history, with most exhibits focusing on archaeological excavations that date as far back as the Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BC). As fascinating as the trove of funeral figurines, jade burial suits and bronze vessels are, however, the real star is the Quyang Stone Carvings collection, which features masterful ancient statuary – mostly Buddhist – carved from Héběi's Quyuan marble.
The museum is divided in two: the old building (the Zhongshan Donglu side) houses temporary exhibits; the new building houses the permanent collection.
Make sure you bring your passport, as it's required for entry.
4Sleeping
Only a handful of hotels here take foreigners, and even quality domestic chains will turn you away. Be particularly cautious about using booking websites for Shíjiāzhuāng, as it's likely you won't find out that you'll be refused until you turn up in the lobby. International chains, of course, are a sure bet.
Děngfēnglái Youth HostelHOSTEL$
(等风来青年旅舍, Děngfēnglái Qīngnían Lǚshě %0311 8382 1323; Apt 602, Door 3, Bldg 3, Shuijing Licheng apartment block, Xinshi Zhonglu, 新石中路水晶郦城3楼3号门602室 dm from ¥35; W)
More of a homestay with bunk beds than an actual hostel, this is the only budget accommodation in town that takes foreigners. The owners speak no English, but rooms are very clean and the grandmother sometimes cooks up simple meals for guests.
Note that while it is within walking distance of the train station, it's not particularly easy to find. The Shuijing Licheng apartment block is located at the bottom of the station's northwest entrance ramp. Once you've found this, enter the complex, turn right at the second row of buildings, and go to the end. Door 3 is the last one on your left.
oHoliday InnHOTEL$$
(萬象天成假日酒店, Wànxiàng Tiānchéng Jiàrì Jiǔdiàn MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0311 6779 9999; www.ihg.com; 15 Yuhua Xilu, 裕华西路15号 r from ¥373; naWs)
Far and away the best-value hotel in Shíjiāzhuāng, the Holiday Inn offers supremely comfortable rooms in a swish downtown tower. Glass-walled bathrooms come with a rain shower and deep soaker tub. There's a pillow menu for those with allergies, a top-floor pool and gym, and staff speak decent English.
Silver Spring HotelHOTEL$$
(银泉酒家, Yínquán Jiǔjiā MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0311 8598 5888; 12 Zhanqian Jie, 站前街12号 d from ¥288; aiW)
Smart, good-value midrange hotel with welcoming staff and bright, modern rooms. You get good discounts if you buy a lifetime membership card (会员卡; huìyuán kǎ) for ¥28.
World Trade Plaza HotelHOTEL$$$
(世贸广场酒店, Shìmào Guǎngchǎng Jiǔdiàn MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0311 8667 8888; www.wtphotels.com; 303 Zhongshan Donglu, 中山东路303号 d ¥600-900; naiW)
Once Shíjiāzhuāng’s finest hotel, the World Trade Plaza is still plenty comfortable, if not quite at the same level as the newer competition. Rooms are big and spick and span, and some floors were entirely renovated in 2014. There are Chinese and Western restaurants on-site, as well as a fitness centre.
SLEEPING
Héběi has very limited sleeping options for foreigners, and non-Chinese citizens are barred from staying in the vast majority of hotels in most cities. Keep this in mind before jumping on that great online deal: a hotel may not tell you they don't accept foreigners until you show up at the front desk – even if you've reserved in advance. Rural homestays are a good option for budget travelers.
5Eating
Nan Xiaojie is an excellent spot to look for a meal, with a tremendous variety of small restaurants and outdoor seating. Across the tracks, the slick new Lerthai Center contains dozens of restaurants.
57°C湘HUNAN$
(Wǔshíqī Dù Xiāng; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0311 6803 7202; 4th fl, Lerthai Center, Zhongshan Donglu, 中山东路勒泰中心四楼 dishes ¥19-39; h11am-10pm)
Get your chilli duck or cumin-rubbed lamb fried up in front of you at this entertaining Húnán-meets-teppanyaki crossover. Be forewarned that it's a very energetic place – every so often the music gets cranked up a notch, the waitstaff don sunglasses and proceed to get down to electro pop. English menu.
Lerthai CenterFOOD HALL$$
(勒泰中心, Lètài Zhōngxīn MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Zhongshan Donglu, 中山东路 meals from ¥30)
You can't miss at this slick new mall, with dozens of restaurants ranging from Shanghainese and hotpot to pizza and Korean BBQ. Freshly made juice will keep you hydrated, while the exterior patios are an inviting place to sit on a summer night. If you're feeling indecisive, the hybrid teppanyaki–Húnán 57°C湘 has an English menu.
Chéngdé HuìguǎnHEBEI$$
(承德会馆 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 12 Zhanqian Jie, 站前街12号 dishes ¥10-98; h11am-2pm & 5.30-9pm)
Specialising in northern Héběi cuisine, this fine place is actually two restaurants in one. The right side has more atmosphere, with faux courtyard decor, while a more proletarian canteen-like restaurant is on the left. Picture menu.
8Information
Internet cafes are numerous and relatively easy to find.
Bank of ChinaBANK
(中国银行, Zhōngguó Yínháng GOOGLE MAP ; Jinqiao Beidajie, 金桥北大街 )
Located behind Starbucks, inside the building. No exterior sign.
China PostPOST
(中国邮政, Zhōngguó Yóuzhèng GOOGLE MAP ; 3 Jianshe Nandajie, 建设南大街3号 )
Public Security BureauPOLICE
(PSB, 公安局, Gōng’ānjú %0311 8686 2511; 66 Yuannan Lu, 元南路66号 )
8Getting There & Away
Air
Shíjiāzhuāng’s airport is 40km northeast of town, and has flights to all major cities in China.
Bus
The following are just some of the numerous services that leave from the long-distance bus station (石家庄客运总站; Shíjiāzhuāng Kèyùn Zǒngzhàn GOOGLE MAP ; Zhanqian Jie; 站前街 ). It is likely that the bus station will move to the new train-station area in the near future, although there has been no official confirmation yet.
ABěijīng ¥95, four hours, hourly (7am to 6pm)
AChéngdé ¥160, seven hours, four daily (8am, 9.30am, 11.30am and 2.30pm)
AJǐ’nán ¥115, four hours, every 40 minutes (7.20am to 5.30pm)
ATiānjīn ¥120 to ¥130, four hours, hourly (8am to 6pm)
Bus services to Zhèngdìng and Zhàozhōu Bridge depart from south bus station (石家庄南焦客运站; Shíjiāzhuāng Nánjiāo Kèyùnzhàn %0311 8657 3806; Yuxiang Jie; 裕翔街 ), 6km southeast of the centre; to get there from central Shíjiāzhuāng, take bus 30 from Zhongshan Lu.
Services to Cāngyán Shān and Yújiācūn depart from the Xīwáng bus station (西王客运站; Xīwáng Kèyùnzhàn Xinhua Lu; 新华路 ), 6km west of town. Get ther
e on bus 9, which runs up Zhonghua Nandajie from the train station and then west on Xinhua Lu (allow 30 to 45 minutes).
Train
If you don't mind waiting an hour or so, there's no need to book for Běijīng; just turn up at the station and buy a ticket.
Shíjiāzhuāng's new train station (石家庄火车站; Shíjiāzhuāng huǒchēzhàn Zhonghuanan Dajie; 中华南大街 ) is about 3km south of the more central former train station (老火车站; lǎo huǒchēzhàn), still an important landmark. A few trains also stop at or depart from Shíjiāzhuāng north train station (石家庄北站; Shíjiāzhuāng Běizhàn Taihua Jie; 泰华街 ). If you're not in a hurry, there are still a handful of cheaper, much slower trains also running out of the city.
A sample of the many routes running through Shíjiāzhuāng:
ABěijīng West G train ¥129, 1½ hours, frequent service
AChéngdé Hard seat/sleeper ¥75/150, 10 hours, five daily
ADàtóng Hard sleeper ¥150 to ¥178, six to 10 hours, five daily (two from Shíjiāzhuāng North)
AGuǎngzhōu South G train ¥786, eight hours, six daily
AJǐ’nán Hard seat ¥47, 4½ hours, four daily (from Shíjiāzhuāng North)
ALuòyáng (Lóngmén) G train ¥250, three hours, six daily
AShànghǎi Z-class hard sleeper ¥303, 12 hours, two daily (from Shíjiāzhuāng North)
AShānhǎiguān G train ¥255, 2½ hours, five daily
ATiānjīn G train ¥123, two hours, frequent service
AXī'ān North G train, ¥409, 4½ hours, nine daily
AZhèngzhōu East G train ¥190, two hours, frequent service
8Getting Around
The airport bus (机场大巴; jīchǎng dàbā; ¥20, 90 minutes, 4.30am to 8.30pm) leaves every 30 minutes from the train station.
ATaxis are ¥8 at flag fall and the easiest way to get around town. Numerous shared rides (both private and taxi) ferry passengers between the train and various bus stations; the standard fare is ¥10 per person. Don't expect these drivers to use the meter.
Shíjiāzhuāng’s first metro (line 1) is due to open in 2017, running east–west along Zhongshan Lu. Two more lines are slated to open in 2020.
WORTH A TRIP
ZHàOZHōU BRIDGE
Zhàozhōu BridgeBRIDGE
(赵州桥; Zhàozhōu Qiáo ¥40)
China’s oldest bridge still standing, the Zhàozhōu Bridge has spanned the Jiǎo River (Jiǎo Hé) for 1400 years. As the world’s first segmental arch bridge (ie its arch is a segment of a circle, as opposed to a complete semicircle), it predates other bridges of its type throughout the world by 800 years. In fine condition, and part of a riverside, landscaped park, it is 50.82m long and 9.6m wide, with a span of 37m.
Twenty-two stone posts are topped with carvings of dragons and mythical creatures, with the centre slab featuring a magnificent tāotiè (an offspring of a dragon).
The bridge is in Zhàoxiàn County, about 40km southeast of Shíjiāzhuāng and 2km south of Zhàoxiàn town. To get here from Shíjiāzhuāng, head to the south bus station, then take a bus to Zhàoxiàn (赵县; ¥11, one hour, frequent). Get off at Shí Tǎ (石塔), a slim stone pagoda in the middle of the road, where you turn right to walk the final 2km, or else take dinky local bus 2 (¥1). The last bus back to Shíjiāzhuāng swings past Shí Tǎ at about 7pm.
Zhèngdìng 正定
%0311 / Pop 130,300
Its streets littered with temple remains, the once walled town of Zhèngdìng (正定) is an appetising – albeit incomplete – slice of old China. From atop Zhèngdìng’s reconstructed South Gate, you can see the silhouettes of four distinct pagodas jutting above the sleepy town. Affectionately known as the town of ‘nine buildings, four pagodas, eight great temples and 24 golden archways’, Zhèngdìng has tragically lost many of its standout buildings and archways (Píngyáo, it isn’t), but enough remains to lend the place an air of faded grandeur. And in Lóngxīng Temple, Zhèngdìng can lay claim to having one of the finest temples in northern China.
Zhèngdìng is an easy day trip from Shíjiāzhuāng.
1Sights
Bus 177 from Shíjiāzhuāng stops at all the sights, but you may as well start at the best of the lot – Lóngxīng Temple, aka Dàfó Temple – then slowly walk your way back to South Gate.
From Lóngxīng Temple, turn right and walk about 500m to reach Tiānníng Temple (on your right). From here, continue along the same road, then at the crossroads turn left down Yanzhao Nandajie to reach Kāiyuán Temple (on your right). From here, continue another 500m south down Yanzhao Nandajie, then turn left down Linji Lu to reach Línjì Temple. Walking further south on Yanzhao Nandajie, you'll soon reach Guǎnghuì Temple (on your left) and, finally, South Gate.
oLóngxīng TempleBUDDHIST TEMPLE
(隆兴寺, Lóngxīng Sì Zhongshan Donglu, 中山东路 ¥50)
Considering its age – almost 1500 years old – we think this is one of the most impressive temples in northern China. It's certainly Zhèngdìng’s star attraction. Popularly known as Dàfó Temple (大佛寺; Dàfó Sì), or ‘Great Buddha Temple’, the complex contains an astonishing array of Buddhist statuary, housed in some stunning temple halls. Dating way back to AD 586, the temple has been much restored and stands divided from its spirit wall by Zhongshan Donglu.
Tiānníng TempleBUDDHIST TEMPLE
(天宁寺, Tiānníng Sì Zhongshan Donglu, 中山东路 ¥15)
The remains of this temple contain the 41m-high Tang dynasty Lofty Pagoda (凌霄塔; Língxiāo Tǎ), also called Mùtǎ or Wooden Pagoda. Originally dating from AD 779, the pagoda was restored in 1045, but is still in fine condition.
Kāiyuán TempleBUDDHIST TEMPLE
(开元寺, Kāiyuán Sì Yanzhao Nandajie, 燕赵南大街 ¥20)
This temple originally dates from AD 540 but was destroyed in 1966, the first year of the Cultural Revolution. Little remains apart from a bell tower and the dirt-brown Xūmí Pagoda (须弥塔; Xūmí Tǎ), a well-preserved, nine-eaved structure (dating from 636 AD) topped with a spire. Its arched doors and carved stone doorway are particularly attractive, as are the carved figures on the base. You can enter a shrine at the bottom of the pagoda, but you can't climb up.
Línjì TempleBUDDHIST SITE
(临济寺, Línjì Sì Linji Lu, 临济路 )F
This active monastery is notable for its tall, elegant, carved-brick Chénglíng Pagoda (澄灵塔; also called the Green Pagoda), topped with an elaborate lotus plinth plus ball and spire. In the Tang dynasty, the temple was home to one of Chan (Zen) Buddhism’s most eccentric and important teachers, Linji Yixuan, who penned the now-famous words, ‘If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him!’
Guǎnghuì TempleBUDDHIST TEMPLE
(广惠寺, Guǎnghuì Sì Yanzhao Nandajie, 燕赵南大街 ¥15)
Nothing remains of this temple except Huá Pagoda (华塔; Huá Tā), dating from around 800 AD. It's an unusual, Indian-style pagoda decorated with lions, elephants, sea creatures and púsà (Bodhisattvas, who are those worthy of nirvana who remain on earth to help others attain enlightenment).
Chánglè GateGATE
(长乐门, Chánglè Mén Yanzhao Nandajie, 燕赵南大街 ¥15)
Although not immediately obvious, Zhèngdìng was once a walled city. These days much of what remains of its 24km-long city wall is just an earthen mound, but at the southern end of Yanzhao Nandajie is Chánglè Gate, commonly called Nán Mén (South Gate), which has been rebuilt to give you some idea of the city wall's former magnificence.
4Sleeping & Eating
Given its proximity to Shíjiāzhuāng, there is no need to spend the night here.
There are plenty of noodle and dumpling eateries along Zhongshan Donglu and Yanzhao Nandajie (past Kāiyuán Temple). Expect to pay about ¥10 for a simple meal.
Also look out for lǘ ròu huǒshāo (驴肉火烧; donkey-meat pastry pockets), a Héběi speciality.
8Information
There's an Industrial & Commercial Bank (ICBC; 工�
��银行; Gōngshāng Yínháng cnr Zhongshan Donglu & Yanzhao Nandajie, 中山东路与燕赵南大街交叉口 ) with an ATM a couple of hundred metres past Tiānníng Temple.
8Getting There & Away
Zhèngdìng is generally an easy day trip from Shíjiāzhuāng. From the ring road just north of the south bus station, take bus 177 (¥2, one hour, 6.50am to 7pm), which passes through South Gate and the other temples before reaching Lóngxīng Temple (Dàfó Temple; 大佛寺; Dàfó Sì).
From Lóngxīng Temple, you can then walk to all the other temples before catching bus 177 back to Zhèngdìng from South Gate. At the time of writing, much of Nanzhao Nandajie was closed to vehicle traffic as a result of massive road repairs; if these are still ongoing, you'll have to get off before the South Gate and walk a ways into town.
A shared taxi to Zhèngdìng from the south bus station will cost ¥20 per person; otherwise, you should be able to hire a driver for ¥60.
8Getting Around
Zhèngdìng is not huge and walking is easy as sights are largely clustered together.
Bus 177 runs past Lóngxīng Temple, down Zhongshan Donglu and then Yanzhao Nandajie.
Taxi flag fall within Zhèngdìng is ¥5; three-wheel motorcycle rides cost ¥4 for anywhere in town.
Lonely Planet China Page 24
