Shijiazhuang
Sun, 09/26/2010 - 00:18
| Located 280 km or 173 mi southwest of Beijing, Shijiazhuang is the provincial capital of Hebei. This is a relatively young city in China, the origin of which goes back to the early 20th century, when the juncture of two railways was built here. Partly due to its strategic location, Shijiazhuang grew rapidly in the coming decades, especially after 1968, when the provincial government of Hebei was relocated to the city. In 2009, the urban area of Shijiazhuang has a population of 231 million; with the residents of the surrounding counties that are under the city's adminstration, the total population of Shijiazhuang is 940 million. | | | |  | Attractions | Changyan Mountain (Changyan Shan)Changyan Mountain scenic area is 50 km southwest of Shijiazhuang. Mountains, streams, old pine trees and historical temples invite tourists to come here. The Fuqing Temple (Fuqing Si0 was originally built in the 11th century, during the Song Dynasty.
Longxing TempleLongxing Temple was originally erected in the 6th century. Expansion and renovation in the later times made the temple one of the most important in the north China. Of particular interest is the the bronze sculpture of Gunyin Bodhisattva, which, measured 21.3 m in height, was made in the year 971, in the Song Dynasty. Occupying 8.5 hectares (21 acres) of land, Longxing Temple is located in Zhengding, Hebei Province, which is 15 km north of central Shijiazhuang.
Tiangui Mountain (Tiangui Shan)Tiangui Mountain is 80 km northwest of Shijiazhuang. This a mountainous scenic area that is part of the Taihang mountain range. The Qinglong Daoist Shrine located in the mountain has a history that goes back to the Ming Dynasty.
XibaipoLocated 90 northwest of Shijiazhuang, Xibaipo is a small village in Pinding County. From 1947 to 1948, top leaders of the Chinese Communist Party were based here, where they directed the war against the Nationalist forces led by Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek. This was the last stop before the Communist leaders moved on to Beijing, where they declared the founding of the People's Republic of China. Here one finds a museum that presents this period the Chinese revolution. Existing "historical" buildings, however, are actually reconstructions as the old site was flooded when a reservoir was built in the 1950s.
ZhangshiyanLocated 110 km southwest of Shijiazhuang, Zhangshiyan is a scenic area known for mountains with rugged sandsone cliffs. The highest peak in the park is Huangannao, on top of which one can take a bird's eye view of the region.
Zhaozhou BridgeZhaozhou Bridge is the word's oldest extant open-spandrel stone-arch bridge. Designed by Li Chun and built in the years 596-605, the bridge is 50 m long, featuring a central span of 37 m in length, 7 m in height, and two small arches on each of the central span. The design significantly lesses the weight of the stone bridge and allows easy passing of flood. Zhaozhou is the an ancient name of the local area in which the bridge is located. The bridge is also known as Anji Bridge (Bridge of Safe Crossing). Forty-five km southeast of Shijiazhuang.
| | | Shijiazhuang TransportationAirport
Shijiazhuang Zhengding International Airport is 32 northeast of Shijiazhuang. The airport is connected to the city by shuttle buses and taxis.
Railway Station:
The main train station in Shijiazhuang is Shijiazhuang Railway Station (Shijiazhuan Zhan), located at the intersection of Zhongshan Road (Zhongshan Lu) and Shengli Street (Shengli Jie), at the heart of the city. Shijiazhuang North Railway Station is in the northwestern part of the city, at the intersection of Taihua Street (Taihua Jie) and Hongjun Avenue (Hongjun Dajie).
Long Distance Bus Stations:
Shijiazhuang Passenger Transportation General Station (Shijiazhuang Keyun Zong Zhan) is located at No. 81 Zhanqian Street (Zhanqian Jie), about 0.5 km south of Shijiazhuang Railway Station.
Taxi:
¥5 for the first 2 km; ¥1.6 for each additional km under 6 km; 2.4 for each km above 6 km. | | | | | | | | | |
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